ATALANTA 3-0 BAYER LEVERKUSEN: Ademola Lookman scores a stunning hat-trick as the Italian underdogs upset Xabi Alonso’s side with a fantastic performance in the Europa League final

Ademola Lookman conjured one of the great individual European final performances to wreck Bayer Leverkusen’s bid for an ‘invincible treble’.

The Charlton Athletic academy kid, who scored one goal in three seasons at Everton, smashed a stunning individual hat-trick. Leverkusen and their former Liverpool coach Xabi Alonso slipped up in their second last game of the season – but what chance did they stand against a world beating show from Lookman.

Maybe going unbeaten in a season while also in European competitions really isn’t possible. That was the fantasy which became a dream. Alonso’s men had gone 51 games without defeat but came up against the sparky Italian’s and an inspired performance from Lookman.

Even this Leverkusen side can lose. Especially when up against the brilliance Lookman showed. The 26-year-old graduated to senior football at Charlton, played for England up to under-21 level and figured for Everton, and on loan at Fulham and Leicester.

But he has never had a game like this. Two stunning strikes in the first 26 minutes rocked Leverkusen’s rhythm and ended their hopes of football immortality. Then he added a third to kill the tie with 15 minutes to go. All crackers.

This was Atalanta’s first ever European trophy, won with aggression and hardly giving their opponents a chance. It was a masterclass from coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Leverkusen fell at the second final hurdle of their campaign. They also face Kaiserslautern in the German Cup at the weekend having already won the league for the first time in their 119-year history, without losing a game – a first in the history of the Bundesliga.

They shook off the nickname Neverkusen – after being five times runners up and losing three or four German Cup finals and their Champions League final. They won’t be called that again, but this was a game too far. The pressure of such history weighing on their shoulders was too much.

That and a hungry, ruthless, Serie A opponent who thrashed Liverpool on the way to this Dublin final. Nigeria international Lookman punished their sloppy first half, as the Bergamo side suffocated their opponents.

Atalanta worked the ball to Davide Zappacosta after a corner, an dhe crossed low into the box. Lookman arrived late into the danger zone, nipping in front of his marker and finishing high into the top corner with his left foot. Lookman’s second was even better. He nutmegged former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka on the edge of the box and skipped to his right before unleashing a vicious curling right foot shot from 20 yards.

Dutch star Teun Koopmeiners, linked with a move to Liverpool, had an exceptional game in the Atalanta midfield. Would Leverkusen mount one of the famous comebacks their season has become epic for?

They were better after the break but loose in their finishing with Jeremie Frimpong firing over the bar, and the Italians shutting down attacks with some uncompromising tackles. Lookman had the last word. He was lethal cutting inside from the left wing and again tormented the defence to lash his best of the night.

Leverkusen are left looking to make it a domestic double.