By Saheed Afolabi
Ademola Lookman played a starring role as Atalanta cruised to a dominant 5-0 victory over Sturm Graz in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Nigerian international capped off a memorable performance with both a goal and an assist at the Gewiss Stadium, helping secure Atalanta’s spot in the knockout stages.
Atalanta took the lead early in the match, with Mateo Retegui finishing coolly in the 12th minute.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, Mario Pašalić doubled the advantage with a determined strike, and Charles De Ketelaere made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute after a corner-kick scramble.
Lookman, who was introduced at halftime, made an immediate impact, scoring a powerful header in the 90th minute.
The Super Eagles forward also provided an assist to Marco Brescianini in stoppage time, with the midfielder sealing the emphatic 5-0 win with a brilliant long-range strike.
Lookman has now netted four goals and contributed two assists in six Champions League appearances this season, further showcasing his value to the Serie A side.
With 14 points from seven matches, Atalanta currently sit fourth in the Champions League table and have secured their progression to the knockout stages with one game to spare.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
