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

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” with the best.

The Dea refused to give in against the Champions League title holders, because when they were trailing 3-1 in Bergamo against goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, Charles De Ketelaere’s penalty and the goal from Lookman kept them in the game.

Mateo Retegui had the opportunity to equalize on the last kick of the match, shooting over the bar following a roll from Lookman.

Lookman proud of the fight against Atalanta

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

“Difficult match, they took their chance when they had it. We knew what type of game it was going to be, we were unlucky, but we have our heads held high,” Lookman told Sky Sport Italia and UEFA.com after being named Man of the Match by the 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 with a team full of champions. Of course, there were times when we could have done better, but I believe that today we stood up to Real, and that is important for our growth.

This is certainly an improvement on the August 14 encounter which saw Real Madrid win 2-0 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 we can learn. It’s another big step for us today, we showed quality in a few moments and we can learn a lot from today,” Lookman added.

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

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

“We must not be too depressed, we are in the Champions League, we are doing well in Serie A and we must continue.”