Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is on the brink of achieving two remarkable milestones as Atalanta prepares to face Udinese in their Serie A clash this weekend.
The fixture is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, with kickoff set for 3 pm. This marks the 20th matchday of the Serie A season.
Lookman, in outstanding form for Atalanta, is poised to score his 50th career goal in Europe’s top five leagues with his next strike. The 27-year-old forward has accumulated 11 Premier League goals, five Bundesliga goals, and 33 Serie A goals, bringing his total to 49.
Furthermore, Lookman’s next goal would be his tenth of the current Serie A season. According to Opta, this achievement would make him the first player to score double figures in Serie A for three consecutive seasons.
“Ademola Lookman (13 goals in 2022/23, 11 in 2023/24, and nine in the current championship) could become the first player to reach double figures for goals in each of the last three Serie A seasons. Furthermore, the next one will be the 50th goal for the Nigerian striker in the top five European leagues,” Opta stated as per Calcio Atalanta.
Lookman’s consistent scoring rate has outpaced top Serie A strikers such as Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku, who have scored seven and six league goals, respectively, this season.
The former Everton winger concluded 2024 as Serie A’s most productive player, tallying 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions.
His stellar performance earned him the prestigious CAF Africa Player of the Year award in December and saw him as the only Nigerian nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, which was ultimately awarded to Manchester City’s Rodri.
