UEFA Champions League: Lookman tipped to thrill as Atalanta face Athletic Club

BERGAMO, ITALY – 2025/12/13: Ademola Lookman of Atalanta seen during the SERIE A match between Atalanta and Cagliari at New Balance Arena. Final score; Atalanta 2 : 1 Cagliari. (Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino has praised Nigerian international striker Ademola Lookman for his professional conduct in joining the rest of his teammates in time for tonight’s UEFA Champions League date against visiting Athletic Club.

Lookman was one of the Super Eagles’ standout performers at the recent AFCON tournament, where he scored three  goals as well as the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out victory against the Pharaohs of Egypt in the bronze medal match.

According to an impressed Palladino, the 2024 African Footballer of the Year has swiftly returned to the Bergamo side ahead of schedule as he wanted to be involved against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League.

“On paper, he was supposed to return tomorrow (Wednesday),”  Palladino told his press conference as per Football Italia. “But he wanted to play in this game at all costs.

“He’s showing a sense of attachment to this team and I’m happy about that,” he added.

Meanwhile, Palladino believes that Atalanta have a ‘great opportunity’ in tonight’s Champions League duel against Athletic Bilbao.

Atalanta sit in an impressive fifth place in the Champions League standings, level on points with PSG and Manchester City in third and fourth respectively. They all have 13 points from their first six games in the competition this season.

La Dea have also won three of their last four Serie A matches, but were held to a 1-1 draw over the weekend.

“We’ll start again with the spirit that we’ve had over the last two months,” he said. “The Champions League gives you a big competitive charge, but that should also be the case in the league.

“We have a great opportunity to do well tomorrow. We’ve had six victories since the Chelsea game and that shows that the team is growing game after game.”

Asked if Atalanta have an issue in games against ‘smaller’ sides, an accusation that has also been pointed at other top teams this season,  Palladino replied: “It’s happening to everyone. Anything can happen in a game, even the smaller sides can make the difference. We have to have the right mentality but we also have to give credit to our opponents.”

Palladino was asked whether he thinks 16 points will be enough to earn a spot in the Champions League round of 16 this season.

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“The new format is very compelling,” he said. “However, we don’t make calculations. We think game by game. We want to make history. We’re facing a well-prepared and very strong team. They might have a few absences and a few poor results over the last few weeks, but it can all be turned around in the Champions League. Atalanta will have to put in a great performance and the difference will be in the details.”