Atalanta-Leverkusen (3-0): Player Ratings

Atalanta Player Ratings – Lookman gives Bayer a headache! Gasperini, it’s a perfect 10 for the cup

Musso 7 – He’s the first, so consider this a heads-up: dropping below a seven after a night like this will be tough. Bayer Leverkusen doesn’t create any glaring dangers, and he’s attentive when it’s time to secure a dominated game.

Djimsiti 7 – No way through. And indeed, there’s no way through the Dea’s defence. He scares Adli so much that he even invents the assist for Lookman’s 2-0.

Hien 8 – They seem like a pair of Russian dolls, him and Wirtz. He takes care of the German prodigy and denies him any ball orbiting nearby. It was supposed to be Florian’s consecration, but the big lad from Stockholm even took that away from him.

Kolasinac 7 – By the numbers, Frimpong is the best full-back in Europe this season. He never slackens, but it’s the Bosnian who occasionally gallops into the opponent’s half. (Substituted in the 46th minute, Scalvini gets a 6.5 – Good at keeping up with Dea’s devilish pace).

Zappacosta 7.5 – It all starts with him: a run, a cross, the assist for Lookman’s goal. He makes the Dea’s game smooth sailing, then adds raids and quality. (Substituted in the 84th minute, Hateboer ).

Koopmeiners 7 – Drops back into midfield to gift the audience the closest duel possible with the gem Wirtz. His opening move: a through ball to send Zappacosta down the wing. The rest flows smoothly.

Ederson 8 – A dynamo that speeds up and drains energy from the opponent. He’s everywhere, with the quality of a Brazilian. Among the best on the pitch, maybe even among the best in Europe.

Ruggeri 6.5 – Organised, assists Kolasinac against Frimpong, pushes when needed. Born in 2002 with a trophy already in the cabinet, he’s the picture of the season: no one expected him to start, yet here he is, winning the cup. (Substituted in the 90th minute, Toloi gets an SV).

De Ketelaere 6.5 – Unlucky to face Hincapié, the only one from Leverkusen who somehow holds up. Precious especially when not in possession, he also has the opportunity to leave his mark towards the end of the first half. (Substituted in the 57th minute, Pasalic gets a 6.5 – With his quality in dribbling, he dismantles any German comeback aspirations).

Lookman 9 – The first almost like a theft, the second a thing of beauty, and the third pure abundance. Steals the show from everyone. It’s Gasperini’s offensive move, and he pays it back: Bayer will have to invent a new remedy for the headache to handle Tapsoba’s.

Scamacca 7.5 – Carries the dreams of the Dea on his shoulders, luckily they’re pretty wide. More for his teammates than for himself: he tries, with a right-wing cross like in Copacabana, with De Ketelaere. Succeeds with Lookman, sent to seal the 3-0. (Substituted in the 84th minute, Touré gets an SV).

Gian Piero Gasperini 10 – Round, like a trophy you’ve been waiting for all your life, and there it is, as beautiful as you imagined. Sets up Atalanta’s hyper-offensive version, which receives the message: the start is very different from what we saw in Rome against Juve, the rest is a masterpiece. Dismantles in spirit a team that hasn’t lost a single game in the last fifty-one played. The Dea is his creation, more than anyone else’s. It’s a victory that closes a cycle, regardless of how it ends.

Player ratings for Leverkusen – Frimpong nullified, Wirtz nervous

Kovar 6 – Perhaps the only one with less responsibility in this match, forced to pick the ball out of the net three times, but Lookman’s shots are unstoppable for any goalkeeper.

Tapsoba 4.5 – Tonight he’ll probably have a nightmare: Ademola Lookman. He experiences a game of perpetual suffering against the agility of the Dea’s forward, who always sends him spinning.

Tah 5 – He has the physique to challenge Scamacca, but the Atalanta forward, even though he doesn’t shoot much towards the goal, controls the game’s tempo. He never manages to anticipate the play of the Italian centre-forward.

Hincapié 5.5 – Every time Atalanta ventures into the offensive zone, it spells big trouble for Leverkusen’s defence. Half a point extra for a tackle that prevented a goal against De Ketelaere at the start of the second half.

Stanisic 5 – Deployed on the right to give Frimpong more freedom in the offensive zone, he only reads Lookman’s number when he’s spinning and never manages to support Leverkusen’s action. Substituted in the 46th minute for Boniface 5 – His entrance often lifts the sagging Leverkusen, but this time he also runs into the Bergamo defence.

Palacios 4.5 – Distracted. He rolls out the red carpet, paving the way for Atalanta’s first chance of the match, easily beaten by Lookman who doesn’t think twice and thanks the Argentine on a forgettable night. Substituted in the 69th minute for Andrich 5 – Notable only for the protests that earn him a yellow card.

Xhaka 5 – One of the more seasoned players on the pitch internationally, finds himself in the blender of Atalanta’s midfield, drying up the German game sources. Gets nutmegged by Lookman for the second goal.

Grimaldo 5 – A season with twelve goals and eighteen assists, but a night well below the seasonal standards for the former Benfica player, struggling in the comparison with Zappacosta. Then, in the first half, squanders an excellent one-on-one opportunity with Musso. Substituted in the 69th minute,

Hlozek 5.5 – Comes on to increase offensive thrust, but has very little impact.

Frimpong 5 – Once one of the most feared, if not the most feared, for his athleticism and great speed. However, Atalanta takes the right measures, always closed down by the recoveries of a superb Ederson. Substituted in the 81st minute, Tella gets an SV.

Wirtz 5 – Not his best version, quite the opposite. Some excess nervousness from the outset, then tries hard upfront but fails to find a way past Atalanta’s defense. Substituted in the 81st minute, Schick gets an SV.

Adli 4.5 – Earns several Atalanta players’ bookings but has Lookman’s second goal on his conscience, misplaces the pass and Lookman simply doubles up and sends Atalanta flying.

Xabi Alonso 5 – It was the Neverkusen, but they lose their first game of the season on one of the most important evenings. After their Bundesliga triumph, they start with the bookies’ favour in Dublin but are flattened by Atalanta. In every area of the pitch, the Bergamo team makes a meal of the Germans, who finish without ever posing a threat upfront. A forgettable evening in a perfect season.