Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman opened his 2024/2025 goals account in the Italian Serie A in Atalanta/Fiorentina forty-five minutes, five goals thriller on Sunday.
It was a burst of goals at the newly refurbished Atalanta Gewiss Stadium which is hosting a game for the first time this season, saw Atalanta scored three times in the first half to defeat Fiorentina 3-2.
Read Also: Asaba 2024: Kano Fives Team Clinches Two Gold Medals in Singles, Doubles
Coming off a 4-0 defeat to Inter Milan, Atalanta returned to winning ways thanks to Ademola Lookman who scored the winner on the stroke of halftime to give Atalanta a 3-2 lead going into the break.
The Nigerian forward played behind Mateo Retegui in a 3-4-2-1 formation for Atalanta, making his first start of the season after a superb international break for the Super Eagles.
It was Martinez Quarter of Fiorentina who drew the first blood in the fifteen minutes of the encounter but Mateo Retegui restored parity for Atalanta six minutes later.
Fiorentina restored their lead in the 31st minute through Moist Kaen in the highly entertaining match as Charles Ketelaere made it 2-2 in the 45th minute for Atalanta before Ademola snatched the winner, 60 seconds later to complete a 45 minutes of goals-filled action.
The second half ended goalless, as much as Fiorentina surged forward for the equaliser, the Atalanta defence thwarted all their efforts, while Atalanta’s struggles to double their advantage were fruitless.
It was a great win to the delight of their supporters who tropped out in numbers to witness their first game at the Gwess Stadium which has been undergoing renovations since 2019.
The result gives La Dea their second victory of the four-week-old season, now on six points after losing two matches already in the season.
Ademola Lookman is a front-runner for the CAF 2024 Africa Footballer of the Year and a nominee for the 2024 Balon d’Or after a splendid 2023/2024 season in which his goals helped Atalanta to UEFA Europa Cup glory as well as helping the Super Eagles to win the silver medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which took place in Ivory Coast later in the year.
