Super Eagles forwards Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface will face each other in the final of the Europa League after their respective sides, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, qualified for the final on Thursday.
Atalanta defeated Olympique Marseille 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate after playing a 1-1 draw in the first leg last Thursday.
Lookman was on target for the Italian side, scoring the first goal in the 30th minute, and also provided an assist for Matteo Ruggeri in the 52nd minute to give them a two-goal cushion before substitute El Bilal Toure scored with the last kick of the game in injury time to make it 3-0.
Also read: Ademola Lookman’s goal, assist send Atalanta to Europa League final
In the second semi-final, Leverkusen came from behind, trailing 2-0 late in the game, to play a 2-2 draw with Roma in Germany, ending the tie 4-2 on aggregate. The draw saw the Xabi Alonso-led side set a European record of being unbeaten in 49 successive games.
Both sides will meet in the final set for Dublin in two weeks’ time, with Leverkusen hoping to add the Europa League title to the Bundesliga title they had earlier won. Atalanta have never been in a European final before, while Leverkusen last won a continental trophy in 1988 when they beat Espanyol on penalties to win the UEFA Cup.
The final will see Lookman and Boniface on opposite sides, with another Super Eagles player, Nathan Tella, also set to feature for Leverkusen.
