In the Europa League final, ADEMOLA LOOKMAN took a single swipe at Granit Xhaka’s ego and Bayer Leverkusen’s aspirations of going undefeated.
Just 26 minutes into the match, the Atalanta player scored a spectacular goal to give his team a 2-0 lead. He did this after displaying incredible technique.
7Ademola Lookman tore apart Granit Xhaka with a superb bit of skill in the Europa League finalCredit: AFP
7Lookman charged at Xhaka with the ballCredit: TNT SPORTS
7He shifted the ball straight through Xhaka’s legsCredit: TNT SPORTS
7The skill opened up a pocket of space and Lookman took full advantage, putting his side 2-0 upCredit: TNT SPORTS
Granit Xhaka has gotten a lot of backlash online.Credit: Getty Lookman had placed his team firmly in control of the match after 11 minutes, scoring a goal and adding a brace.
But it was his second goal that really stood out—the former attacker for Charlton and Leicester slid the ball between Granit Xhaka’s legs to create the opportunity.
Lookman brilliantly timed his weight shift to allow the ball to get through the legs of the former Arsenal midfielder and set up a long-range attempt.
Then, with some tremendous venom, he Һit the ball to find the bottom corner and net past Matej Kovar.The move’s genius left fans speechless, and some turned to social media to criticize Xhaka’s defensive play.
Someone wrote: “Lookman’s sent Xhaka to a retirement home there.”
One person said, “Lookman just sent Xhaka back to Arsenal.” Another followed.
“Granit Xhaka has brought his inner Arsenal this game,” a third person joked.Another added, “Xhaka is having the stinkiest stinkers ever.” A fourth person also weighed in.
Lookman went on to score a third goal to give Atalanta a 3-0 victory and a hat-trιck, winning them the Europa League all by themselves.Leverkusen’s hopes of winning a perfect treble and making history are dashed by Atalanta’s triumph.
This season, Xabi Alonso’s team has already won the Bundesliga, finishing 17 points ahead of Stuttgart in second place and 18 points ahead of Bayern Munich in third.
And when Leverkusen plays FC Kaiserslautern of the second level in the German Cup final on Saturday, they might win the competition.
But since they faltered on the grandest platform and failed to win the first European trophy for the club in more than 35 years, their goal of an undefeated treble is now over..
Lookman goes from Panenka laughing stock to European hat-trιck hero
By Matt Heath-Smith
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN’S incredible hat-trιck against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final will go down in Atalanta and European football history.
Lookman’s triple in the Uefa competition final was the first since 1975.
However, some Premier League supporters may not have believed what they saw after seeing his famous Fulham Panenka mistake.
At sixteen Lookman was seen by a Charlton scout as he was playing Sunday league in Lambeth.
He was the Addicks’ finest player a year later, in 2015, when he was playing brilliantly on the wing in the Championship.
And before he knew it, Lookman had made the big £11 million transfer to Everton to become a Premier League player.
The 20-year-old Lookman made an immediate impression by scoring in a 4-0 rout of Manchester City on his debut.
Even more, he scored three goals to help England win the U20 World Cup.
However, he had trouble getting consistent playing time with the Toffees. Eventually, he rejected a loan to Derby in order to force a transfer to RB Leipzig, going against Sam Allardyce’s intentions.
Lookman gained a permanent transfer after making an impression in the Bundesliga with five goals.
However, he was unable to settle once more and was soon back in the Premier League on loan at Fulham.
During his tenure at Craven Cottage, he experienced both expensive errors and flashes of brilliance.
Not even his misplaced Panenka penalty against West Ham was this bad.
Lookman’s weak chipped effort landed in the waiting palms of an immobile Lukasz Fabianski, drawing widespread condemnation and derision from commentators and fans alike.
After a loan at Leicester, Lookman’s real breakthrough came when he moved to Atalanta in Serie A.
He currently represents Nigeria in international football and got them to the Afcon final earlier this year.
However, he didn’t have to wait long to add his first senior trophy after defeating the formerly unstoppable Leverkusen in Dublin as the clear man of the match.
7Lookman bagged a hat-trιck as Atalanta won the Europa LeagueCredit: AP
7Leverkusen saw their unbeaten treble hopes come to an endCredit: Reuters