Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman believes Atalanta demonstrated their ability to compete with the best following their impressive display against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Despite the 3-2 defeat to the defending champions at the Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday night, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side showed resilience, marking their first loss in the Champions League this season.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 10th minute, but Atalanta equalized just before half-time through Charles De Ketelaere’s composed penalty.
In the second half, Real Madrid surged ahead as Vinicius Jr. capitalized on a rebound in the 56th minute, quickly followed by Jude Bellingham’s clinical counterattack strike in the 59th minute.
Lookman pulled one back for Atalanta in the 65th minute with a stunning curling effort, marking his third goal in this season’s Champions League.
He was named Man of the Match for his performance.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Lookman expressed pride in his team’s performance during the tightly contested match.
He emphasized that the defeat would not dampen their spirits as they look forward to returning to winning ways this weekend.
“It was a tough game; they took their chances when they had them. We knew what type of match it would be. We were unlucky, but we hold our heads high,” Lookman said.
“I try to do my best every game, and we focus on creating chances for each other, which is the most important thing. We will continue like this.
There are a lot of positives to take from tonight’s game. We will learn from our mistakes. Another game is on Saturday, and hopefully, we can win that one.”
The CAF Player of the Year front-runner added that the team would learn from this experience and remain focused, ensuring the loss does not affect their morale as they aim to secure victory on Saturday.
“It’s another great step for us. We showed quality in certain moments, and we know they are a top team in the Champions League.
Saturday’s game is another important match in the league, so it’s crucial for us not to be too down and to pick ourselves up again.”
Atalanta’s next game will be against Cagliari at the Sardegna Arena on Saturday, December 14.
