Italian Football Club Atalanta Secures First UEFA Europa League Victory
Atalanta BC from Bergamo triumphed over Germany's Bayer 04 Leverkusen with a 3-0 scoreline, clinching the UEFA Europa League trophy. This victory marks a significant milestone for the Bergamaschi, as it is their first major achievement on the international stage, having never before won a European cup. With this win, they also ended Bayer's incredible 51-match unbeaten streak, reports Le Monde.
The decisive match of the second most prestigious European club tournament took place on Wednesday evening in the Irish capital at the "Dublin Arena" in front of over 47,000 spectators.
It is worth noting that Bayer was considered the clear favourite before the match. The team had remained undefeated this season and won the German championship, showcasing a vibrant and powerful game, while Atalanta were only in fifth place in their league and had already lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus.
However, from the first minutes of the game, the Italians took the initiative and opened the scoring in the 12th minute, doubling their lead in the 26th minute. Bayer, known for their comebacks this season, failed to create any significant chances in the second half and even conceded another goal in the 75th minute.
The hero of the match was English footballer of Nigerian descent Ademola Lookman. The Atalanta forward scored all three goals, becoming the first player to achieve a hat-trick in the final of a European international club tournament in 49 years.
Nevertheless, the main factor in Atalanta's victory was not Lookman's goals but their successful neutralization of all of Bayer's strengths. Leverkusen managed to create their first genuinely dangerous moment only at the end of the match, highlighting the brilliant tactical victory of Atalanta's experienced coach Gian Piero Gasperini over his young opponent Xabi Alonso.
It should be recalled that The Gaze earlier reported that for the first time in their history, Bayer 04 Leverkusen won the German football championship. In the final round of the Bundesliga, Leverkusen secured a 2-1 victory over Augsburg, officially claiming the new title of German football champions.
In addition to this historic achievement, the "Pharmacists" set another unprecedented record in German football: Xabi Alonso's team became the first in Bundesliga history to complete an entire season undefeated. Bayer won 28 matches and drew six, amassing a total of 90 points.