Revealed: Why birthday-boy Ademola Lookman was substituted at halftime during Venezia Vs Atalanta
It has now been revealed Why birthday-boy Ademola Lookman was substituted at halftime during the Italian Serie A clash between Venezia Vs Atalanta.
Atalanta kicked off a tough run of seven matches in 22 days with a solid 2-0 win over Venezia on Sunday at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium. A goal in each half secured the victory as the Bergamo-based side started their demanding schedule on a high note.
Mario Pasalic opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, smashing the ball into the top of the net after a chaotic scramble inside the box.
Ademola Lookman came close to doubling Atalanta’s lead in the 27th minute with a powerful shot from just outside the box, but the ball struck the post.
Two minutes into the second half, Mateo Retegui sealed the win with a brilliant chip, beating the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Lookman, celebrating his 27th birthday, was surprisingly substituted at halftime, with Juan Cuadrado coming on. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini later clarified that the Nigerian forward was taken off because of his lack of defensive contribution.
“Lookman is our most dangerous player, but he struggled to track back today,” Gasperini said during the post-match press conference. “At that point, Venezia was gaining momentum, and I needed more balance to avoid a game like the one against Como.”
Lookman has completed the full 90 minutes in only three matches this season—against Real Madrid in the Super Cup and in Serie A games against Fiorentina and Bologna.
Recently, Lookman was among 22 Nigerian footballers stranded in Libya for over 16 hours, but the Nigerian government intervened, ensuring the players and officials were safely flown back to Abuja.
