Who is Ademola Lookman? Decoding the Atalanta winger's crunch stats
Ademola Lookman etched his name in the UEFA Europa League's history books after scoring a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the final. Lookman handed Atalanta their maiden European trophy on a starry night in Dublin. Lookman led the carnage in a tactical masterclass against Leverkusen, who saw their 51-game unbeaten run this season come to an end. We decode Lookman's crunch stats and records.
Why does this story matter?
Lookman delivered Atalanta their biggest trophy ever. It was a special performance from the Italian side against a resounding Leverkusen managed by Xabi Alonso. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini orchestrated the perfect display from his side. Lookman had a solid end to the season, hitting 15 goals for a second straight campaign. Atalanta, who had earlier beaten Liverpool, executed Leverkusen without much threat.
Lookman's three-goal burst sinks Leverkusen
Former Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta's cross saw Lookman open the scoring with a back-post finish on 12 minutes. Lookman doubled the advantage with a stunning curling effort 14 minutes later. Leverkusen's best chance in the first half fell to Alejandro Grimaldo but he fired over. Lookman wrapped up his third goal from Gianluca Scamacca's assist with a powerful left-footed strike in the 76th minute.
Lookman's performance for Atalanta
Nigerian international Lookman joined Atalanta in the summer of 2022. Across two seasons, he has amassed 30 goals from 75 matches (14 assists). In his debut season, he managed 15 goals (A6). The 2023-24 season saw him net 15 goals (A8). From 60 Serie A matches, Lookman owns 22 goals (A12). He has been directly involved in 15-plus goals in successive league campaigns.
Europa League 2023-24: Decoding Lookman's stats
Lookman clocked five goals and one assist from 11 matches in the Europa League 2023-24 season. As per Opta, Lookman managed 15 shots (exclusing blocks) with nine of them on target. Three of his five goals were from inside the box. His pass accuracy was 77.03%. Lookman crated 12 chances in addition to completing 16 take-ons. He had 57 touches in the opposition box.
Massive records made by Lookman with his hat-trick
As per Opta, Lookman is the second player to score a hat-trick in the final of a major European competition for an Italian side, after Pierino Prati for AC Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup. Lookman netted the sixth hat-trick in the final of a major UEFA competition. It's the first since Jupp Heynckes' for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
More records for Lookman
Lookman became the third Nigerian to score in the final of a major UEFA competition, after Alex Iwobi (2019 Europa League) and Joe Aribo (2022 Europa League). Lookman became the first African player to score two-plus goals in the final of a major UEFA competition.
Lookman can hit 10-plus league goals for second successive season
Atalanta are fifth in Serie A 2023-24 season and have two matches left. They can finish third if they win their remaining games and pip Bologna and Juventus respectively. Atalanta are already guaranteed Champions League football for the next season by winning the UEL. Lookman, who scored 13 goals in Serie A last season, can hit 10-plus goals this season too (9).
Decoding Lookman's club career stats
Born in England, Lookman started his career at Charlton Athletic. He scored 12 goals across 49 matches. He joined Premier League side Everton and four goals in 48 matches. In between, he was loaned to RB Leipzig before making the move permanent. He scored five goals from 24 appearances. Lookman played for Fulham and Leicester City (loan) scoring 12 times from combined 77 games.
11 goals and seven assists in the Premier League
Lookman made a total of 96 appearances in the Premier League, playing for Everton, Fulham and Leicester. He managed 11 goals and seven assists. In the 2020-21 season, he scored four goals (A4) for Fulham. His best returns (goals and assists combined).
Six international goals under his belt
Lookman represented England at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017 and won the trophy. He changed to Nigeria colors and made his senior debut in 2022. He owns six goals from 21 appearances. He was a runner-up at the Africa Cup of Nations 2023.
