By Kayode John
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was carried awayby his performance in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
Lookman provided the assist for Atalanta’s first goal at the Veltins-Arena and also scored his first goal in the competition before the half-time whistle. The 26-year-old was named the player of the match for his display which helped the Italian club register their first win of the competition’s league format.
“It wasn’t my best performance, but tonight (Wednesday) it was essential to take the three points after the 0-0 draw with Arsenal,” the Nigeria international told Bergamo & Sport.
“In Europe, we have a plus, we are on another level. An excellent team performance seasoned with personal happiness for the goal,”
“In the league, we had some dips, but we are growing and becoming stronger. Every challenge is important, we want to do our best in both competitions because Serie A is like the Champions League.”
Duván Zapata and Josip Iličić are Atalanta’s joint-top scorers in the Champions League with seven goals apiece, and Lookman could become the club’s top scorer in the competition with seven more goals, as both Zapata and Ilicic are no longer with the Bergamo outfit.
The former RB Leipzig winger has started the 2024/2025 season where he left off the last term, scoring three goals and registering two assists in six games for Atalanta.
