Ademola Lookman made an immediate impact on his return from injury, but his goal was not enough to prevent Atalanta from being eliminated by Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League.
In Tuesday’s play-off second leg in Italy, Club Brugge dominated with a 3-1 victory, sealing their place in the last 16 with a 5-2 aggregate win.
Lookman, who started on the bench, entered the game at halftime and quickly found the net in the 46th minute, reducing the deficit to 3-1. It marked his fifth goal in seven Champions League appearances this season.
The Super Eagles forward had a golden opportunity to further close the gap when Atalanta were awarded a penalty, but Simon Mignolet denied him with a crucial save.
Club Brugge had already built a commanding 3-0 lead in the first half, thanks to a brace from Chemsdine Talbi and a goal from Ferran Jutgla.
Atalanta’s hopes of a comeback took another hit in the closing minutes when Rafael Toloi received a straight red card, reducing them to 10 men.