“Leverkusen’s nightmare”: Germany shocked by the end of the streak

In Germany, and we can say that in all of Europe as well, they were shocked by Bayer Leverkusen’s 3:0 loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final. Xavi Alonso’s team recorded a magical season with 51 (!) consecutive games without a loss in all competitions, but tonight (Wednesday) the fantastic streak came to an end precisely in perhaps the most important position of all.

The Bundesliga champions, who can take solace in having finished the season in the league without a single loss, were on their way to an amazing treble, and were knocked out by the Italian team that reached the final as an underdog and came out as the big winner, thanks in large part to the attacking player Ademola Luckman who scored an amazing hat trick.

“A celebratory performance by Atalanta that managed to put a stamp on the game at an early stage,” Bild wrote, where they added: “Lookman is Bayer Leverkusen’s nightmare.” The striker became the first in history to score a hat-trick in the Europa League final, and Alonso’s team conceded a hat-trick in one game for the first time this season.

Ademola Luqman celebrates (Reuters)

Leverkusen will play its last game of the season as part of the German Cup final against Keislerslautern and will be able to complete a domestic double there and celebrate a perfect season at least in Germany, but there is no doubt that this is a big miss for the Bundesliga champions, who nevertheless set the longest streak ever without a loss for a team from one of the five top leagues on the continent. The streak was interrupted after 42 wins and nine draws this season.

For Gian Piero Gasparini’s Atalanta, it is the first title after 61 years and the second overall in the team’s history, after winning the Italian Cup in the previous millennium. A magical night for the club from Bergamo who will also be remembered as the one who ended Leverkusen’s extraordinary streak. The Italians also passed Liverpool and Milan along the way and proved that their victory was no accident. Italy is on its way to six representatives in the Champions next season and one of them is of course Atalanta.

Xavi Alonso (Reuters)