Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini did not hold back in his criticism of Ademola Lookman after the Nigerian forward missed a crucial penalty in their 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge, which sealed their Champions League exit with a 5-2 aggregate loss.
The Italian side struggled to make the most of their chances, while Club Brugge made theirs count.
The Belgian outfit took control early, with Talbi opening the scoring before doubling his tally off a rebound. Jutgla then added a stunning long-range strike just before halftime to put Brugge in full command.
Lookman was introduced at the start of the second half and made an instant impact, slotting home a neat finish to give Atalanta hope. However, when the Italian club was awarded a penalty soon after, things took a turn for the worse.
The Nigerian forward stepped up to take the spot-kick, only to see his effort saved by Simon Mignolet, crushing any chance of a comeback. To make matters worse, Atalanta’s Toloi saw red in the closing minutes, sealing a night to forget for the Italian side.
After the match, Gasperini did not mince words about Lookman’s penalty-taking abilities.
“Lookman wasn’t supposed to take the penalty. He’s one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” the Atalanta boss said bluntly.
He went on to reveal that the issue isn’t just limited to matchdays.
“Even in training, he doesn’t have a good rate of scoring from the spot,” Gasperini added.
With their Champions League journey now over, Atalanta will have to regroup and shift focus to their domestic campaign. Meanwhile, Lookman will be hoping to bounce back from his manager’s harsh words and prove his worth in the games to come.
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