In a thrilling encounter at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Ademola Lookman scored for Atalanta as they secured a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash.
The match began with both sides evenly poised following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Portugal last week. Atalanta started strongly, but it was Sporting CP who took the lead in the 33rd minute courtesy of a goal from Pedro Goncalves, giving the visitors the advantage heading into halftime.
However, Atalanta staged a remarkable comeback in the second half. Lookman ignited the turnaround just a minute after the break, capitalizing on a precise cross from Ederson to slot the ball into the net with aplomb.
The momentum swung further in Atalanta’s favor when Gianluca Scamacca doubled their lead in the 59th minute, putting them firmly in control of the tie. Despite Sporting CP’s efforts to mount a comeback, Atalanta’s resolute defense held firm to secure the victory.
Ademola Lookman, in particular, stood out with an impressive performance, registering two shots, 55 touches, and two successful dribbles. He was substituted for El Bilal Toure in the 85th minute as Atalanta held on to clinch the win, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Sporting CP.
The result sees Atalanta progress to the quarterfinals of the Europa League, joining the likes of Liverpool, Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham, Marseille, AC Milan, and Benfica as the clubs that have qualified for the knockout rounds.
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