Press reviews
“Lookman destroys Alonso’s dream of an unbeaten triple”
Bitter evening in Dublin: Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso (l.) and national player Jonathan Tah stand disappointed on the pitch after the game
© Jan Woitas / DPA
Bayer Leverkusen suffered its first defeat of the season in the Europa League final. Opponents Atalanta Bergamo mercilessly humiliated the team of the moment from Germany. This is what the media said about the debacle.
Germany
“Sports Show”: “Leverkusen’s triple dream ends in debacle”
“Kicker”: “It was clear that it would happen at some point. But the fact that Bayer 04, previously undefeated in 51 games in a row, suffered its first defeat of the season in the Europa League final of all places, is not without a certain tragedy.”
“Southgerman newspaper”: “The clear defeat against Atalanta only slightly puts Leverkusen’s huge success this season into perspective. They are not invincible, that is now clear. So what? This defeat, painfully enough, costs them a major European trophy, but not their reputation.”
Italy
“Sport Newspaper”: “Lookman and Gasperini write Atalanta into the history books. (…) Gian Piero Gasperini’s team managed the feat of defeating Bayer Leverkusen, who had been unbeaten for 51 games in a row, with a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman.”
“All Sports”: “Wonderful Atalanta, the Europa League is yours. Lookman demolishes unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.”
“Corriere dello Sport”: “A historic success for Gasperini’s team, who humiliated the German champions, who were still unbeaten this season, with a crazy 0-3 at the hands of Lookman.”
Great Britain
“Daily Mail”: “The Invincibles became The Invisibles and after 51 unbeaten duels, there was finally a chink in the armour of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. We just never thought that Ademola Lookman, who once played for Charlton, would inflict the fatal wounds in this Europa League final. Three of them, in fact.”
“The Sun”: “Lookman scores incredible hat-trick in Dublin, shattering Alonso’s dream of an unbeaten treble”
“The Guardian”: “For all the talk about Xabi Alonso’s emergence as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches, it was an experienced old hand who took the credit. At 66, Gian Piero Gasperini has achieved his first masterpiece, a tangible achievement in a career in which where he has done a most impressive job away from the limelight.”
Spain
“Brand”: “The goddess Atalanta makes Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen mortal. Lookman’s hat-trick destroyed the German team, which loses the Europa League, the treble and invincibility.”
“Ace”: “After all the wonders of the season had been exhausted, after 51 glorious days and nights of unbeaten games, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen failed when it least should have: at the gates of a European title that will now have to wait for the Spanish coach.”
Europa League final
Disappointment, frustration, emptiness: Bayer Leverkusen can lose after all
France
“The Parisian”: “Bergamo topple the Invincibles in the Europa League final thanks to the genius Lookman”
Austria
“Courier”: “Before this Europa League final, the football experts didn’t go overboard with hymns of praise for Leverkusen. The factory club was the measure of all things in European football, we heard. (…) And then there is the final Atalanta Bergamo therefore reduces the high-flyers from Leverkusen to a normal size using the simplest means (…).
Switzerland
“View”: “Nati captain Granit Xhaka and his Leverkusen team suffered their first defeat of the season. In the final of the Europa League, of all places.”