Lookman Fires Brace as Five-star Atalanta Crush Empoli

Duro Ikhazuagbe

African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, put aside the drama over his missed penalty kick in the UEFA Champions League to fire a brace in Atalanta’s 5-0 thrashing of home team Empoli in the Italian Serie A clash on Sunday evening.

Lookman who was trash-talked by Atalanta Coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, as the “worst penalty taker ever” after the Super Eagles forward missed the spot kick against Club Brugge last Wednesday, scored Atalanta’s third goal after 43 minutes, before completing his brace after 55 minutes.

Lookman has now scored 12 goals in 20 Serie A games this season. He has also contributed five key assists.

The Nigerian international who has been on the sideline recuperating from injury he picked up early January, came on as substitute to fire a goal as Atalanta were three goals down in the second leg of the Champions League playoff at Bergamo. He also scored another that VAR ruled out as scored from an offside position. 

However, it was his missed penalty that drew the err of the Atalanta coach who in the heat of the moment failed to remember how Lookman singlehandedly won the UEFA Europa League for the team, scoring all three goals in the final last season.

But a rather taciturn Lookman was forced to reply his coach, describing Gasperini’s missive as “disrespectful and hurtful.”

Despite crashing out of Champions League, Atalanta remain in third spot in the Italian Serie A with 54 points from 26 matches. They are two points behind Napoli and three points behind new leaders Inter Milan.

Also yesterday, another Super Eagles forward, Moses Simon, was also on the scorer’s sheet as he scored Nantes’ second goal in the 3-1 defeat of Lens in the French Ligue 1.

It was a brilliant display by Nantes who the previous weekend suffered their worst Ligue 1 seven-goal defeat ever.