Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, continued his impressive goal-scoring streak for Atalanta, netting twice in their dominant 5-0 victory over Empoli in an Italian Serie A encounter on Sunday.
The title contenders had one of their most influential players back in action, and Lookman wasted no time proving his worth with a brace, just days after a tense exchange with his coach following Atalanta’s UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Club Brugge on Tuesday.
In that game, the Nigerian international made an immediate impact by scoring just 36 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
However, his failure to convert a penalty led to an outburst from manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
Lookman, 28, responded in style, bagging two goals in a fixture where Atalanta dominated from the first half.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute, displaying excellent composure as he rounded the goalkeeper from a tight angle before slotting into an empty net.
Ten minutes into the second half, Lookman struck again, this time firing a shot into the far corner to put the game well beyond Empoli’s reach.
With his latest brace, the Nigerian forward has now scored 12 goals this season and climbed to second on the all-time list of Nigerian goal scorers in Serie A history with 36 goals—one ahead of Simy Nwankwo.
Atalanta remain in third place in the league standings with 54 points from 26 matches, trailing second-placed Napoli by a single point and leaders Inter Milan by three.
