Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman was the hero for Atalanta on Friday night, scoring a late winner in their hard-fought 2-1 victory against AC Milan in Serie A.
Atalanta struck early, with Charles De Ketelaere heading home Marten De Roon’s free-kick for their league-best seventh goal inside the opening 15 minutes this season. Milan responded quickly, equalizing through Álvaro Morata, who converted Rafael Leão’s precise cross.
The Rossoneri suffered a setback when Christian Pulisic left the field injured before halftime, weakening their attack. Both teams created chances in the second half but lacked sharpness in front of goal. Tijjani Reijnders and Raoul Bellanova came close for Milan and Atalanta, respectively, as the match remained deadlocked.
With just 10 minutes left, Lookman forced a brilliant save from Mike Maignan, signalling his intent. Moments later, the Nigerian capitalized on a Lazar Samardžić cross, heading home the winner in the 87th minute.
The victory was Atalanta’s ninth consecutive win across all competitions, keeping them in the hunt for Serie A’s top spot.
Ademola Lookman’s decisive goal increased his tally to eight goals and four assists in 12 league appearances, reinforcing his status as a key player for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.
