Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, on Wednesday night made history by netting a hat-trick in the Europa League final to fire Atalanta to their first piece of silverware since 1963.
It also marks the first senior hat-trick of his career.
The former Premier League winger is only the sixth star to score a hat-trick in the final of a major UEFA competition, and the first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
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The Atalanta star put his side 1-0 up against unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the 12th minute.
The former Charlton youngster made it two 14 minutes later.
He then ensured Atalanta would be lifting their first ever European trophy and he’d be taking home the match ball in the second half, firing in his third in the 75th minute.
Lookman is also now the first African player to score two or three times in the final of a major UEFA competition.
He is also the first player to score two or more goals in the Europa League final since Luuk de Jong for Sevilla against Inter Milan in 2020.
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Lookman’s mother shared the happy moment with her son, hugging him tightly at the sold-out Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
His heroic moment left defeat for Nigerian compatriots Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella who starred for Bayer Leverkusen.
Defeat to Atalanta ended Xabi Alonso’s side’s dreams of winning an unbeaten treble in the 2023-24 season.
QED
