Atalanta clinched their first-ever UEFA title with a stunning hat-trick from Ademola Lookman over Bayer Leverkusen.
The win ends Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Atalanta entered the clash as the underdogs, after their recent Coppa Italia Final loss to Juventus.
Leverkusen, who had already secured the Bundesliga title and were eyeing a Treble, opted for a False 9 approach under Xabi Alonso, leaving Victor Boniface on the bench.
Atalanta’s early pressure paid off when a corner was poorly cleared by Leverkusen.
Davide Zappacosta’s cross found Lookman, who slotted the ball into the net from eight yards, beating Exequiel Palacios to open the scoring.
Lookman doubled the lead after intercepting Amine Adli’s misplaced header.
The Nigerian ace skillfully nutmegged Granit Xhaka before curling a right-footed shot into the bottom corner, becoming the first African to score twice in a major UEFA final.
Leverkusen attempted to fight back through efforts from Alex Grimaldo and Charles De Ketelaere, but Atalanta’s defense stopped any major threat.
Substitute Victor Boniface added some attacking strength for Leverkusen at Dublin, but Atalanta’s Juan Musso made crucial saves to maintain the lead.
Lookman then sealed the victory and his hat-trick with a spectacular left-footed strike from a tight angle, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final.
