African POTY, Ballon d’Or nominee Lookman breaks personal record as Atalanta thrash Verona

African Footballer of the Year nominee Ademola Lookman showcased an outstanding performance on Saturday night, leading his team to a resounding 6-1 victory over Hellas Verona at the Gewiss Stadium.

This match marked a significant turnaround for Lookman, who had experienced a subdued outing since returning from the international break.

Lookman returned to form with two goals and two assists, breaking a personal record in the process.

This is the first time in his professional career he has managed four goal involvements in a single game.

He registered three goal involvements in the Europa League final, back-to-back Serie A matches against Salernitana and Juventus in January 2023, and against Hertha BSC on the final day of the 2017-2018 Bundesliga season during his time at RB Leipzig.

Atalanta opened the scoring early in the sixth minute when Marten de Roon found the back of the net, finishing off an assist from Lookman.

Just three minutes later, Italian striker Mateo Retegui added the second goal for Atalanta, setting the tone for a dominant home performance.

Lookman continued to make his mark on the game, assisting Belgian midfielder Charles De Ketelaere for the third goal in the 14th minute.

With Atalanta in control, Lookman added his name to the scoresheet in the 29th minute, skillfully slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.

The Nigerian forward was not done yet; in the 34th minute, he scored his second goal and Atalanta’s fifth, converting an assist from De Ketelaere.

As the first half came to a close, Verona’s Amin Sarr managed to reduce the deficit, scoring from an assist by Reda Belahyane, but the damage had been done.

Hellas Verona manager Paolo Zanetti reacted to the disappointing first half by making two substitutions, bringing on Darko Lazović and Flavius Daniliuc for Diego Coppola and Domagoj Bradarić.

However, Atalanta continued to dominate the game, adding a sixth goal in the 58th minute through Retegui, who finished off another assist from De Ketelaere.

Lookman was replaced in the 56th minute by  Samardžić after an impressive outing, but his impact on the match was undeniable.

This season, he has scored five goals and provided five assists across ten games in all competitions, continuing his remarkable form from the previous campaign.

Last season, Lookman played a crucial role in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League triumph, scoring a hat-trick in the final.

His outstanding performances earned him a nomination for the prestigious Ballon D’Or, where he aims to improve on Victor Osimhen’s eighth-place finish from last year.

With this spectacular performance, Lookman hopes to propel himself into a strong position among the Ballon D’Or candidates.