Lookman: ‘Atalanta showed we can compete’ with Real Madrid | OneFootball

Ademola Lookman was named Man of the Match after Atalanta’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid and felt ‘pride, because we showed we can compete’ against the best.

La Dea refused to give in against the reigning Champions League holders, as when trailing 3-1 in Bergamo to goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, the Charles De Ketelaere penalty and Lookman strike kept them in it.

Mateo Retegui had the chance to equalise with the last kick of the game, firing over the bar from Lookman’s roll across.

Lookman proud of Atalanta fight

BERGAMO, ITALY – DECEMBER 10: Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Atalanta BC and Real Madrid C.F. at Stadio di Bergamo on December 10, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“Tough game, they took their chances when they had them. We knew what type of game it would be, we were unlucky, but we have our heads held high,” Lookman told Sky Sport Italia and UEFA.com after he was named Man of the Match by UEFA.

“We are disappointed with the result because we felt we could have done more, but there is also pride. We showed that we can compete against a team full of champions. Of course, there were moments when we could have done better, but I believe that today we stood up to Real, and this is important for our growth.”

This was certainly an improvement over the encounter from August 14 that saw Real Madrid emerge 2-0 winners in Warsaw for the UEFA Super Cup.

“We created chances, there are a lot of positives to take from the performance, but also a lot of things we can learn. It’s another great step for us today, we showed quality in moments and can learn a lot from today,” added Lookman.

The fans continued to cheer and applaud their players even after the final whistle, well aware that this remains an extraordinary period for the club.

Atalanta are still in a good position to continue in the Champions League on 11 points and are top of the Serie A table.

“We mustn’t be too down, we’re in the Champions League, doing well in Serie A and we’ve got to keep going.”