AGS NEWS – Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman made history by scoring a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final, leading Atalanta to a stunning 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

This win not only gave Atalanta their first-ever Europa League title but also ended Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-match unbeaten streak.

The victory marks Atalanta’s first major title since 1963.

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Lookman opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a well-executed play involving Teun Koopmeiners and Davide Zappacosta.

He doubled the lead with a spectacular solo effort, nutmegging Granit Xhaka before launching a long-range shot into the net.

Lookman completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute with a powerful angled finish from the left-hand side, set up by Gianluca Scamacca.

Despite a spirited second-half effort by Leverkusen, including attempts by Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, they failed to break through Atalanta’s defense.

Lookman’s performance overshadowed the contributions of fellow Nigerians Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella, who were introduced in the second half but could not change the game’s outcome.

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This triumph follows Lookman’s near misses with Nigeria in the AFCON final and Atalanta in the Coppa Italia.

His hat-trick not only sets a new record in the Europa League final but also boosts his chances for the Africa Player of The Year Award, competing against Boniface.