By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman delivered a Man of the Match performance on Sunday as Atalanta finally returned to winning ways with a 2–0 victory over Fiorentina at the Gewiss Stadium.
The win marked Atalanta’s first under new manager Raffaele Palladino and ended an eight-match wait for a league victory.
La Dea took the lead four minutes before halftime through Ivorian winger Odilon Kossounou, whose curling cross-shot from the edge of the box sailed beyond David De Gea into the far corner.
Fiorentina came close to responding when Moise Kean found space on the edge of the area, but his tame strike failed to trouble the Atalanta goalkeeper.
Atalanta doubled their advantage in the 51st minute after the visitors failed to clear their lines. Lookman reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the box, stabbing home from close range to seal the hosts’ control of the game.
The goal takes the Super Eagles winger’s tally to three this season, along with one assist.
Fiorentina pushed to find a way back, but Atalanta remained compact and disciplined, ensuring a comfortable finish as they secured a much-needed three points.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
