Atalanta 3 Bayer Leverkusen 0: Ademola Lookman scores stunning hat-trick to ruin Xabi Alonso’s dream of unbeaten Treble

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN’S breathtaking hat-trick inflicted Bayer Leverkusen’s first defeat in FIFTY-TWO games to clinch the Europa League title.

The script had been written that Xabi Alonso’s German side, who went the entire league campaign unbeaten to lift the Bundesliga, would make it a double with victory in Dublin.

AFP

Ademola Lookman inspired Atalanta with a hat-trick[/caption]

Reuters

Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run came to an end[/caption]

Yet former Charlton, Everton, Fulham and Leicester man Lookman, 26, clearly did not read it as he left Alonso and his invincibles stunned at the Aviva Stadium.

The former England Under-21 star broke the deadlock on 21 minutes, acting quickest to lash home Davide Zappacosta’s cross into the top corner.

His second on 26 minutes was a thing of beauty, as he cut in from the left and curled into the far corner.

Bizarrely, Alonso had begun the game without a recognised striker.

But even when bringing on top-scorer Victor Boniface, it made no difference as Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta side continued their dominance.

Leverkusen have come back in dramatic fashion in plenty of games this season to keep their unbeaten status intact.

But any hopes of that happening here were dashed when Lookman, who now plays internationally for Nigeria, blasted into the top corner with his weaker left foot with 15 minutes to go.

Lookman became the first ever player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League final.

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And Atalanta won their second EVER trophy – some 61 years after their first, the Coppa Italia.

To do so by beating a team who have gone the entire season unbeaten up until this point is even more impressive.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for Leverkusen who now have a chance to right their wrongs in the German Cup final this weekend.

They face second division side FC Kaiserslautern in the final on Saturday – a game that would still crown them undefeated domestic double winners.

READ HOW IT HAPPENED…