Former Leipzig footballer brings down Bayer Leverkusen in Europa League finale
German champions Bayer Leverkusen saw their treble dreams shatter as they lost their very first game of the season in the Europa League final. Atalanta Bergamo, led by former Leipzig player Ademola Lookman, triumphed 3-0, ending their 51-game unbeaten streak.
As the first title slipped through their grasp, as well as the "super series" and the sought-after crown of the European dream journey, Leverkusen's hope of triumphing in the Europa League was cruelly snatched away. Lookman scored a hat trick in the Italian team's stunning win against Leverkusen.
Currently, Bayer Leverkusen stands to win only the double, in their match against second division side 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday, as their epic run of 51 games without defeat came to a halt in Dublin. The team had been presented with the championship trophy just four days prior, and was on the verge of becoming the immortal champions of Europe.
However, the first half of the match proved to be disastrous for Leverkusen, which led to their fall from grace. The Italians, coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, had recently lost to Juventus in the Italian Cup final but were hungry for their first title in 61 years in their debut performance at the Europa League Final. Lookman marked the occasion as the first player to score three goals in a European Cup Final for Borussia Mönchengladbach since Jupp Heynckes in 1975.
Fans of Bayer Leverkusen, who had travelled to Shelbourne Park for this historic occasion, were dismayed. About 12,000 traveled to Ireland, with 8,000 watching a public viewing event at home. The hope was that the Man of the Hour, Florian Wirtz, would help Leverkusen triumph. Owing to a thigh injury, Wirtz hadn't played since May and was now in the starting line-up. Matej Kovar had been the goalkeeper of choice throughout the European Cup season.
The absence of a striker in Bayer's offense was conspicuous at the start, though it was the defense that Bayer's initial struggles stemmed from. In the twelfth minute, Lookman escaped the clutches of Exequiel Palacios and scored from the back. He then danced past half the Bayer defense and scored again in the 26th minute.
Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City head coach, had once aptly remarked, "Playing against Atalanta is like going to the dentist." It became clear to everyone by the end of the first half that they understood what that meant.
Bayer gave it their all in the second half, experimenting with Victor Boniface as a substitute. They increased the pressure on the Italians, but failed to convert any of their chances. This was the team that had pulled off sensational comebacks so many times during the season. This time, though, luck was against them.
In their first matchup in the round of 16 in 2022, Bayer had already failed to beat Bergamo. Lookman further confirmed his outstanding performance with a few more touches in the second half. Leverkusen was unable to pull off a comeback this time around.
The season that had begun on a high note with an unbeaten run came to an abrupt stop in the Europa League final, when the German team went down to Atalanta Bergamo. Such is the cruelty of football.
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Source: www.ntv.de
