Ademola Lookman dashed Bayer Leverkusen's pursuit of a historic unbeaten treble by scoring a stunning hat trick, sealing Europa League glory for Atalanta with a 3-0 victory in Dublin.
Former Everton and RB Leipzig forward Lookman, 26, delivered the performance of his career as Gian Piero Gasperini's team defied the odds to win their first European trophy and handed Leverkusen their first defeat of the season.
Leverkusen's unbeaten run had lasted 51 games and 361 days, stretching back to a 3-0 defeat against VfL Bochum in May 2023.
"It wasn't lost in terms of attitude, it was a football thing," said Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso. "It happens, it's football. Today wasn't meant to be. They were better."
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| Bayer Leverkusen's hopes of a historic unbeaten season in all competitions were dashed by Atalanta. Image Photo Agency/Getty Images |
Leverkusen were seeking their second European trophy and their first since the 1988 UEFA Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League.
"It's exceptional what we have done. Today is painful, but it is deserved as well," Alonso added. "These defeats in a final, you don't forget them. We had a big chance, we put everything on today, but it didn't go as planned. We weren't at our best level, and we will learn from today. How we deal with the pain will be a challenge for us."
Leverkusen secured their first-ever German title this season by winning 28, drawing 6, and losing none of their 34 league games. They were heavily tipped to become the first team in European football history to win three major trophies without defeat by adding the Europa League and DFB Pokal (German Cup) to their Bundesliga crown.
However, Atalanta, who eliminated Liverpool in the quarterfinals and defeated Marseille in the semifinals, dominated the game from the start. Lookman gave them a 2-0 halftime lead and sealed the victory with an outstanding individual goal in the 75th minute.
Leverkusen's recent ability to salvage draws from losing positions kept the game alive until Lookman's third goal ended any hope of a late comeback.
Despite failing to complete an unbeaten treble, Leverkusen can still make history by securing an unbeaten double if they defeat second-tier Kaiserslautern in Saturday's German Cup final in Berlin.
"It's our first defeat of the season, so it will be a test of how we deal with it because we have a big game on Saturday," Alonso said. "Normally, it happens earlier in the season, but when it happens in such a big game, it hurts. But we have to use this pain in a positive way. It's football—the normality is not to lose the first game in the 52nd game."
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