Soccer
Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has expressed his disappointment despite being named Man of the Match in his side’s 3-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles star delivered a superb individual performance, scoring a stunning goal to keep Atalanta within reach.
However, Real Madrid’s quality prevailed at the Gewiss Stadium, with goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham sealing the win.
Madrid dominated the first half, taking the lead through Mbappé, who later exited with an injury. Atalanta capitalised on the shift in momentum as Charles De Ketelaere converted a penalty with the last kick of the half.
Vinícius restored Madrid’s advantage early in the second half, benefiting from a deflection, and Bellingham extended the lead soon after.
Lookman responded with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box, reigniting Atalanta’s hopes.
Despite a late surge, including Mario Retegui’s close-range miss, the Italian side couldn’t find an equaliser.
Reflecting on the match, Lookman said as per Tribal Football:
“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.”
The 26-year-old added: “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.
“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.”
Lookman, who has scored or assisted a combined 16 goals in 18 appearances this season, concluded:
“We created chances, there are a lot of positives to take from the performance, but also a lot of things we can learn. It’s another great step for us today.”
The defeat leaves Real Madrid within three points of automatic qualification, while Atalanta must regroup for their two remaining fixtures.
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