Ademola Lookman Sets Serie A Record After Brace in Atalanta’s Victory Over Empoli
- Ademola Lookman scored a brace in Atalanta's 5-0 emphatic away win against Empoli on Sunday evening
- The CAF Player of the Year becomes the first player to score over 10 goals in the last three consecutive Serie A seasons
- Lookman set the record days after being labelled ‘one of the worse penalty-takers' by coach Gasperini
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Ademola Lookman has set a new Serie A record following his brace against Empoli on Sunday night.
Atalanta beat Empoli 5-0 with the first-choice penalty-taker Mateo Retegui scoring a brace among the goals.
The 27-year-old became the first player to score over 10 goals in three consecutive Serie A seasons since the 2022/23 season.
Source: Getty Images
He takes his tally to 12 league goals this season, having netted 13 in the 2022-23 season and then 11 during the last campaign.
Atalanta are in third position with 54 points from 26 matches, two points behind Napoli and three points behind new leaders Inter Milan.
The record is coming four days after Coach Gian Piero Gasperini blamed the Nigerian forward for their exit from this season's UEFA Champions League.
Lookman returned to the starting XI for the first time since his injury in late January.
Lookman sends message to Gasperini
Despite the saga, Ademola Lookman has confirmed to the management of Atalanta that he is the missing piece in the team.
The former Fulham player has increased his goal tally to 12 in Serie A this season.
According to Footballitalia, Ademola Lookman has put behind him the high drama involving his coach at Atalanta after he scored a brace in a 5-0 thrashing of home team Empoli.
According to X user @AdaezeAkudo, the Super Eagles winger does the talking on the pitch, avoiding distractions.
Another X user @sodique_ said:
“That's our Naija Yoruba boy. Ranieri should be careful, Ademola cannot be intimidated”
Coach Gian Piero Gasperini called Lookman one of the worst penalty-takers following his spot-kick miss against Club Brugge in their UEFA Champions League exit.
Source: Getty Images
How Lookman scores a brace
Atalanta took the lead in the 27th minute with an own goal, as Davide Zappacosta's cross from the edge of the box deflected off Empoli's Emmanuel Gyasi and looped into the corner of the net.
According to Afrikfootball, Atalanta seized control of the game, with Mateo Retegui doubling their advantage six minutes later.
Just before halftime, Ademola Lookman made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute, capitalising on a through ball, rounding goalkeeper Marco Silvestri, and tapping the ball into an empty net per Straitstimes.
Lookman added his second just ten minutes after the break, collecting a pass from Marten de Roon, escaping the offside trap, and firing an angled shot past Silvestri following a quick step-over.
Zappacosta sealed the dominant victory with a goal in the 74th minute.
Atalanta fans behind Lookman
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atalanta disabled the comments section on their social media platforms as Nigerian fans called for respect for Ademola Lookman.
Support for the winger has been overwhelming, with fans voicing their belief that he is their standout player.
Both CAF and the NFF have expressed solidarity in backing the reigning African Football Player of the Year.
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Source: Legit.ng
