African Footballer of The Year Ademola Lookman will hope to end his three-game goal drought when Atalanta host Juventus in a Serie A clash at the Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigeria international has failed to find the back of the net since scoring in Atalanta’s 3-2 victory over Empoli on December 22, although he did provide an assist in their 1-1 draw against Lazio.
Lookman drew blanks in Atalanta’s 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana semi-final loss to Inter Milan and Saturday’s goalless draw at Udinese, where he had an uncharacteristically quiet performance against a resolute defence.
The 27-year-old needs just one more goal to become the first player to reach double figures in three consecutive Serie A seasons, while also moving closer to his 50th career strike in Europe’s top five leagues.
Despite his recent drought, the former Everton winger has enjoyed a spectacular season, with nine goals and five assists in 16 league appearances, helping Atalanta to second place in Serie A, just two points behind leaders Napoli who have a game in hand.
“With Retegui unlikely to start, Charles De Ketelaere should continue his role up front, supported by Ademola Lookman,” Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed ahead of the crucial clash.
The Bergamo outfits are winless in their last three games across all competitions, with Gasperini admitting they were fortunate to avoid defeat at Udinese, where the hosts twice struck the woodwork during the first half.
La Dea face a crucial few weeks that could define their season, with Champions League fixtures and a Coppa Italia quarter-final against Bologna on the horizon, as well as league clashes against title rivals Napoli and Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Juventus arrive in Bergamo having drawn five of their last six league games under coach Thiago Motta, who will serve a touchline ban following his dismissal in their derby draw with Torino.
Lookman finished 2024 as Serie A’s most productive player with 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, a form that earned him the prestigious CAF African Player of The Year award in December and attracted interest from several European giants, including Liverpool, who recently had an approach rejected by Atalanta.
The €55m-rated forward will hope to rediscover his scoring touch against a Juventus side that remains unbeaten in Serie A this season but has struggled to convert draws into victories in recent weeks.