Europa League final live updates (2024)

• Ademola Lookman's brilliant back-post strike gave Atalanta an early lead (12')
• Lookman doubled that lead after nutmegging Granit Xhaka (26')
• He then completed his hat-trick with a devastating left-footed strike (75')
• Win secured the first European title in Atalanta's history

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No celebrations for Leverkusen tonight may be a blessing in disguise as they have a very quick turnaround for the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday.

Fortunately, it should be a game they can win without hitting top gear as second-tier side FC Kaiserslautern await at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, the same venue that will host the Euro 2024 final.

As for Atalanta, they do not have to worry about their celebrations ruining their next game as they face Torino at home on Sunday. As they have already secured a Champions League berth next season, that match doesn't hold too much importance for Gasperini's side.

Although, I would love to see the homecoming that Lookman and co get at the Gewiss Stadium ahead of that match!

Atalanta captain Marten de Roon is having some fun on X, posting photos of himself.

On a more serious note, he adds: "We wrote history. I can not put into words how unbelievably proud I am at this team, this city and these fans."

Italy had already secured a fifth Champions League berth thanks to the strength of their clubs' performances in Europe this season, but now that Atalanta have won the Europa League, all 20 Serie A teams will in fact compete in the 2024-25 UCL.

To be fair, I'd love to see Frosinone against Monza in the semi-finals rather than Real Madrid vs Manchester City again, Duncan...

Fans have been having their say in The Athletic's 'Discuss' tab at the top of the page and clickable here.

Dheeraj B says: Italian teams are the most difficult to beat once they have the lead.

Andreas S highlights the key players: Ederson & Lookman of course. But what a big win and really deserved.

While Besar D concludes: Gasperini is an absolute elite coach. Look at what he's doing with Kolasinac and Zappacosta, players who looked like part-time footballers in England. Couldn't respect it more.

Join the conversation there, or email us at: livebloguk@theathletic.com.

A second major trophy for Sead Kolasinac after he helped Arsenal to the FA Cup in 2020.

"It's a fantastic night for the club, all the staff and for us as a team. And we will enjoy it," the Bosnian told TNT Sports. "We analysed Leverkusen really well and the coach gave us a really good game plan for today.

"From the first minute, we were really aggressive and we pressed them really high because we saw that they had some problems with that. We were super happy to score (to make it) 1-0 and then the second.

"A big thank you to Ade Lookman for his hat-trick. It was a fantastic game for us today."

We mentioned how proud Ademola Lookman's family must be tonight and a childhood coach of his, Felix (pictured to the left of Lookman in the green), spoke to TNT Sports.

"I really can't tell you my emotions," he said. "Sky high, sky high. I've been dreaming about this for a long time, we've been dreaming about this for a long time, since Ade was a kid at Waterloo.

"I'd just like to say a few words to a couple of the coaches at Waterloo, all the people that have worked with Ademola and have strived to get him where he is. A fantastic player and tonight was a dream come true. I cried when the third goal went in and I don't cry!

"I'm so glad for Ade. He works hard, (he's a) quiet lad and he's sometimes misunderstood because of his quietness but he's a great kid. He always wants to learn, to get better and wants to reach the top."

Ademola Lookman has spoke a number of times of the pride he has in his family, particularly in his mother.

I can't even begin to imagine how proud they all must be of him this evening and it's lovely to see them being able to celebrate with him out on the pitch.

A perfect night for the south London-born forward.

The fact Leverkusen will play 53 matches this season shows just how good they have been and Xabi Alonso is not losing sight of that.

"For me, the result today doesn't change how proud I am of my players or what we are doing," he told TNT Sports. "It hurts because we wanted to lift that trophy, but you can't have everything.

"We were lifting the Bundesliga (trophy) on Saturday and we will have the chance to lift the (DFB) Pokal on Saturday again. The effort that the guys are giving after 51 games — okay, we have lost — but the other (victories) they have deserved and we have another chance on Saturday."

Bayer Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah outlined his disappointment on RTL after the match.

He said: "It's a huge disappointment, of course. When you've got this far, you want a different result. That's the state of mind right now.

"Nevertheless, we have to keep going. We still have a very, very important game ahead of us. Even if it hurts right now, you have to allow the pain. We move on from tomorrow.

"They absolutely deserved to win today. We didn't find our way into our game. They were more aggressive in the duels, left us very little space and therefore deserved to win against us today."

Andrich's team-mate Granit Xhaka also spoke to RTL: "Honestly, we're not interested in the unbeaten record. We didn't care about that from the start.

"It's about the game and unfortunately we lost a final today. That's football. We said yesterday that it would be a difficult game. Compliments to Atalanta.

"It's a shame it didn't work out in the final.

"We looked so good up until this game and the fact that we didn't manage to do what we usually do so well in the final is a part of the game. We have to accept that."

Robert Andrich, speaking to RTL after the match, said: "I would have preferred it to have been some unimportant game.

"It's extremely tough to take but we have to be honest with ourselves. It was deserved today, so we have to go out with our heads held high and congratulate Atalanta. They definitely deserved it more than us today.

"Atalanta did what they always do. They played one-on-one all over the pitch and won the decisive duels.

"I think we had phases in the game where we were better, but we didn't create any real scoring opportunities. If you concede three goals and don't score any, you deserve to lose."

Gian Piero Gasperini echoed Ademola Lookman in proclaiming his club's achievement: "I think we wrote history, also for the way we won it. It was just extraordinary. We defeated Liverpool and Sporting, who won the championship. When we faced Liverpool they were first in the Premier League... And now the German champions. Incredible! The boys were extraordinary. A memorable performance.

"We often play with three forwards. All the conditions were there. We had to try to be dangerous, it's a final and the only thing that mattered was winning. We knew that playing like this could give us benefits. It was an extraordinary match."

The praise for the winning team continued from Xabi Alonso.

"Once they scored the first goal, that gave them lot of energy," he said. "We tried to play too many passes in the first third when we should have played them a little bit longer.

"But, anyway, it was not about tactics. It was about them being better individually and as a team, so we will learn from that. It hurts that the defeat comes on a big day, but we have another final on Saturday."

It is hard to feel too sorry for Bayer Leverkusen given this is their first defeat of the season.

And they cannot let it affect them too much as they go again in the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday.

Fortunately, that should be a test they come through fairly comfortably given their opponents, FC Kaiserslautern, play in the German second tier.

A typically classy post-match interview from defeated manager Xabi Alonso.

"We were not planning to have a bad day today, but we did," he told TNT Sports. "It was not meant to be today, we could not cope with many difficult situations that we prepared for.

"Atalanta demand so much (from you) in one-v-one situations and duels, but we were not getting the ball in the right positions because they do that so good. And we were not able to come back.

"It was not meant to be, the unbeaten run has come to an end but congratulations to Atalanta, they deserve it."

Many fans of English football will remember Ademola Lookman and associate him with the terrible Panenka penalty for relegation-threatened Fulham against West Ham, pictured above.

No more.

When people say Ademola Lookman now, the first thing they'll think of will be 'Europa League final hat-trick'.

What a time to get your first treble in senior football, eh?

Sixteen players brought the trophy home for Atalanta tonight, but this final will be remembered for one player.

Ademola Lookman's hat-trick was not just decisive, it was phenomenal.

And, in scoring those three goals, he becomes just the fourth player to score a hat-trick in a one-legged major European final.

• Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid) vs Frankfurt, 1960
• Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid) vs Frankfurt, 1960
• Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid) vs Benfica, 1962
• Pierino Prati (Milan) vs Ajax, 1969
• Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2024

Some company for the 26-year-old to join!

Atalanta's win marks the first time an Italian club has won this competition since Parma did so in 1999, when it was known as the UEFA Cup.

I'm not saying this was overdue but since 1999, Parma went into administration and bankruptcy in separate decades, the UEFA Cup became the Europa League, one beaten finalist no longer exists, Sevilla won it seven times and nine of Atalanta's squad weren't even born.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Italian football dominated the UEFA Cup before this: Serie A teams won it 8 times between 1989-99. For it to be Atalanta to end that drought is remarkable.

What a night it must be to be in Bergamo!

The fan park that was erected for today's game was absolutely jam-packed prior to kick-off and I can't imagine any of those supporters have left, or will be leaving any time soon.

Lots of sore heads in the morning!