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Ademola Lookman [Credit: X | #mbahdeyforyou]
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman expressed satisfaction with Atalanta’s performance despite their 3-2 UEFA Champions League defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday night, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Lookman, who was named Man of The Match after scoring Atalanta’s second goal, believes the Serie A leaders showed their class against the Spanish giants.
Real Madrid led the game in the 10th minute after a brilliant one-two between Federico Valverde and Brahim Diaz who found Mbappe with a nice pass for the French international to finish expertly.
Atalanta equalised just before half-time as De Ketelaere netted a penalty after Tchouameni clipped Pasalic’s ankle inside the box.
Los Blancos regained the lead in the 56th courtesy of Vinicius Junior’s fourth goal in the Champions League this season and they extended their lead just three minutes later as the Brazilian clipped a brilliant long ball before Bellingham unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom left corner.
Atalanta got back into the game in the 66th minute through Lookman when he fired in a brilliant shot to the near post beyond Thibaut Courtois for his third UCL of the campaign. Both teams got chances to either extend their lead or level the scoreline, however, they were unable to convert their chances.
“Tough game, they took their chances when they had them. We knew what type of game it would be, we were unlucky, but we have our heads held high,” he told UEFA.com.
The defeat was Atalanta’s first in the competition this season, ending their impressive run that had seen them collect 11 points from their previous five matches.
The 26-year-old, who has been in scintillating form with eight goals and four assists in 12 Serie A appearances this season, showcased his big-game credentials once again.
“We are disappointed with the result because we felt we could have done more, but there is also pride. We showed that we can compete against a team full of champions,” Lookman added.
This performance follows his recent heroics, including a dramatic 87th-minute winner against AC Milan last Friday that extended Atalanta’s winning streak to nine consecutive matches and kept them at the Serie A summit with 34 points from 15 matches.
“Of course, there were moments when we could have done better, but I believe that today we stood up to Real, and this is important for our growth,” the Nigeria international added.
Since joining Atalanta for €9.35m from RB Leipzig in 2022, Lookman has been a revelation, amassing 43 goals and 23 assists in 96 appearances. His performances have attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Manchester United.
