Ademola Lookman has been known as ‘one of many worst penalty takers’ by his supervisor as Atalanta crashed out of the Champions League.
Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini made the damning declare following the 27-year-old’s missed effort in Tuesday evening’s 3-1 defeat to Membership Brugge.
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The Serie A facet went into their knockout play-off second leg trailing 2-1 after their loss in Belgium final week.
And issues acquired off to a wretched begin in Bergamo with the guests scoring three unanswered objectives within the first half.
It was Lookman who sparked the hosts’ tried comeback when he poked house simply 34 seconds after the break to deliver up his fifteenth aim of the marketing campaign.
His strike noticed him create Champions League historical past by scoring the quickest aim by a substitute from the beginning of the second half.
Excessive on confidence, Lookman then stepped up within the 61st minute in his quest to chop Brugge’s mixture result in 5-3.
However ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet guessed the proper method to deny Lookman’s penalty from nestling within the backside proper nook.
It was the 36-year-old’s sixteenth penalty save from his prolonged profession – and simply Lookman’s second miss from 12 yards after his notorious Panenka try for Fulham towards West Ham in 2020.
Atalanta didn’t seize one other aim within the second leg, with Brugge changing into the primary Belgian facet to instantly knock out an Italian group within the competitors since Anderlecht dumped out Juventus in 1982.
And talking after the match, Gasperini did not maintain again his anger over Lookman stepping as much as take the penalty.
That is regardless of the Nigeria worldwide scoring his 4 earlier spot-kicks since becoming a member of the membership in 2022.
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Gasperini vented: “Lookman wasn’t speculated to take the penalty.
“He is one of many worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen.
“Even in coaching he has a really low share, he kicks them actually badly.
“He wished to take the penalty after scoring a aim.
“He took the ball regardless of [Mateo] Retegui and [Charles] De Keteleare out there to take it. I didn’t like what Lookman did.”
Consideration for Atalanta will now flip again in direction of their Serie A title tilt with the membership sitting in third spot – 5 factors behind leaders Napoli.