Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman endured a nightmare moment in the UEFA Champions League as Atalanta suffered a devastating exit. Lookman, who returned from injury, scored within seconds of being introduced but later missed a crucial penalty in a 3-1 defeat to Club Bruges. His failed spot-kick drew sharp criticism from his manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, who did not hold back in his assessment.
Lookman’s Instant Impact but Crucial Error
Coming on as a substitute in the second half, Ademola Lookman made an immediate impact, scoring just 42 seconds after stepping onto the pitch. However, in the 61st minute, he had a golden opportunity to further reduce the deficit from the penalty spot.
Facing former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, Lookman struck his effort with power but too centrally, allowing Mignolet to make a comfortable save. That miss proved costly, as Atalanta failed to mount a comeback, ultimately bowing out of the UEFA Champions League after a 5-2 aggregate defeat.
Harsh Words from Atalanta’s Manager
Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini was unforgiving in his post-match remarks, publicly lambasting Lookman’s penalty-taking ability.
“Ademola Lookman is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” Gasperini stated. “He wanted to take the penalty after scoring a goal. He took the ball despite (Mateo) Retegui and (Charles) De Keteleare being available. I didn’t like what Lookman did.”
The Nigerian forward was not designated as the team’s penalty taker, with Mateo Retegui being the usual choice, having successfully converted two out of three in Serie A this season. Gasperini further revealed that Lookman’s penalty struggles were evident even in training.
Lookman’s Penalty Woes – A Familiar Tale
Lookman’s penalty-taking struggles have haunted him before. Fulham fans will remember his infamous miss in November 2020 against West Ham, where he attempted a panenka in the 98th minute, only for Lukasz Fabianski to easily catch the feeble effort. That costly mistake left Lookman devastated, and it seems his troubles from the spot have persisted.
Despite his penalty issues, Lookman remains a key figure for Atalanta. He played a starring role in last season’s Europa League final, scoring a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen. This season, the Nigerian has been instrumental once again, netting 15 goals and providing seven assists in all competitions.