After a remarkable 2024 campaign that earned him the prestigious African Player of the Year Award, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has kickstarted 2025 with a spectacular goal in Atalanta’s thrilling 3-2 loss to Napoli at the Gewiss Stadium.
Lookman, who was instrumental in Atalanta’s success last year with 22 goals and 13 assists across 46 appearances, ended his early-season drought with a stunning equaliser in the second half of the highly anticipated Serie A clash.
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A moment of brilliance
The match began with Mateo Retegui giving Atalanta an early lead before goals from Matteo Politano and Scott McTominay put Napoli ahead at halftime.
In the second half, Lookman delivered a moment of individual brilliance to level the score.
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Receiving the ball on the left, Lookman nutmegged Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, wove through three defenders, and slotted a precise shot through a crowded penalty area into the bottom corner.
His strike not only reignited Atalanta’s hopes but also etched a historic mark in Serie A.
According to Opta, this was the first time in Serie A history that two Atalanta players scored in both the home and away fixtures against Napoli in a single season.
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2 – For the first time in #SerieA history, two #Atalanta players scored at home and away against Napoli in a single edition of the tournament: #Lookman (2 goals at the Maradona Stadium and 1 at the Gewiss Stadium) and #Retegui (1 goal in each match). Couple. pic.twitter.com/Fw9q17woib
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 18, 2025
In the reverse fixture in Naples, Lookman netted a brace in Atalanta’s commanding 3-0 win at the Diego Maradona Stadium, while Retegui also scored in that match.
Unfortunately, Lookman was substituted in the 77th minute for Nicolò Zaniolo, a decision that proved costly as Romelu Lukaku scored the decisive winner for Napoli just a minute later.
Despite the defeat, Lookman’s goal marked an impressive personal milestone.
According to Livescore, he became the only player to score 10+ goals in Serie A for three consecutive seasons (2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25).
Performance stats
This season, Lookman has been a cornerstone of Atalanta’s attack, making 18 Serie A appearances and playing 1,255 minutes.
He has started in 16 matches, coming off the bench in two, and has contributed 10 goals and five assists, ranking him fourth in the league for goals scored and joint-third for assists.
Lookman’s first league goal of the season came in a 3-2 victory over Fiorentina on 15 September, and his latest strike underscores his consistency and importance to Atalanta’s ambitions.
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Next task
As Atalanta prepares to face Como on 25 January, Lookman will be eager to build on this performance and continue leading his team in their push for Serie A success.
With 10 goals in 19 games this season, he is already on track to surpass his tally of 11 goals from last season, further solidifying his reputation as one of the league’s most dynamic attackers.
New Super Eagles Head Coach Éric Chelle will also be pleased to see that one of the key players he will be banking on is not showing any sign of slowing down.
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