For a while, it seemed Ademola Lookman had signed off as an Atalanta player with the most flamboyant of flourishes.

His dazzling hat-trick in the Europa League final delivered a first European trophy to the club, in the process making the Italians the only side to beat Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen juggernaut all season.

You would be hard pressed to find a more decisive cup final performance. Inevitably, after the initial torrent of praise came the enquiries, with Paris Saint-Germain coming knocking for the Nigerian late in the transfer window.

Lookman ended up training alone and unavailable for selection while awaiting news after the season had started.

It was the last thing Gian Piero Gasperini needed after what had already been a difficult summer.

He had already lost star striker Gianluca Scamacca to an ACL injury, forcing Atalanta into the market to sign Italy international Mateo Retegui, while Teun Koopmeiners joined domestic rivals Juventus after a drawn-out transfer saga.

But now, with the market safely closed and nothing ultimately coming of PSG’s advances, things are looking bright again for Atalanta and Lookman alike just in time for the visit of Arsenal.

Lookman became the first Atalanta player to receive a Ballon d’Or nomination when he was named on the 30-man shortlist after a year of Europa League heroics and a starring role in Nigeria’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations final.

And on Sunday, he came in from the cold to belatedly play his first league minutes of the season against Fiorentina, putting in a man-of-the-match display in a 3-2 win that earned him gushing praise once more from the Italian media.

Lookman’s mesmerising assist for Retegui’s opener was followed by a sublime goal of his own, tying two defenders in knots before wrong-footing David de Gea with a clever finish.

“The magician is back to being a phenomenon,” gushed Gazzetta dello Sport, while Sky Sport Italia said: “His season has resumed the way the last one finished: as the best player on the pitch.”

Lookman couldn’t have timed his game-changing performance much better. Not only was it desperately needed after a humbling 4-0 defeat at Inter Milan before the international break, but it came on a landmark day in the history of his club as they played in their completely renovated stadium for the first time.

Il Giornale wrote that Lookman “turned on the lights in the new house” as Atalanta’s supporters packed into a new-look Gewiss Stadium that was finally finished after almost 2000 days of work and 100 million euros of investment.

The mood music is upbeat once more as Bergamo prepares to host Champions League football again after two years when Arsenal come to town.

It’s a challenge that Lookman will relish. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ademola was brought up playing cage football across the capital, developing the explosive movement, one-on-one skills and quick feet that characterise his game.

His journey from the south London streets to a Ballon d’Or shortlist has taken him from Waterloo to Charlton, Everton and Leipzig, with stops in Leicester and Fulham on the way before he arrived at Atalanta.

Lookman has now played more games, 80, for the Italians than any other club and his two seasons in Lombardy have been the most prolific of his career, producing a combined 32 goals in all competitions.

But if PSG’s interest wasn’t surprising, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t disruptive.

Lookman reportedly asked not to be picked for the opening weeks of the Serie A season to avoid injury ahead of a potential move, and he trained alone until being reintegrated when a deal could not be struck.

But any worries that coming back into the fold would be problematic quickly dissolved against Fiorentina.

“He had a bit of a difficulty due to the transfer window and we were aware of that,” defender Berat Djimsiti said after the game.

“We told him to be calm… do what you were doing before, and we will all be happy. That’s what he did.”

The brilliance of Lookman’s display was the perfect way of drawing a line under the saga as attention quickly turns to Arsenal.

Rumours abound that Gasperini could sacrifice an attacker for a midfielder for the visit of the Gunners and you can see why.

Atalanta have scored and conceded eight goals in four games so far – only three teams have scored more, but nobody has conceded more.

Even a magician might find it hard to conjure up results against Europe’s elite unless that problem is solved quickly.

– inews

Bayern Munich‘s Harry Kane scored four goals to become England’s top scorer in Champions League or European Cup history in a demolition of Dinamo Zagreb.

Kane’s fourth – his third penalty of the game – was his 33rd Champions League goal as he passed Wayne Rooney’s old record of 30.

The quadruple also marked his 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd Bayern goals in just 50 games for the club.

Another London-born player, France winger Michael Olise, scored twice on his Champions League debut.

Bayern Munich are the first team to score nine goals in a Champions League game.

Kane gave Bayern the lead with a penalty after Aleksandar Pavlovic was fouled, sending goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic the wrong way.

Raphael Guerreiro scored a fantastic half-volley before Olise, the summer signing from Crystal Palace, headed in Joshua Kimmich’s cross.

Bayern brought on Sven Ulrich for the injured Manuel Neuer at half-time and he conceded twice in five minutes before touching the ball – with Bruno Petkovic and Takuya Ogiwara beating him to make it 3-2.

But Bayern took control again – with Kane scoring a rebound after Kimmich’s shot was saved – and Olise slotting into an empty net.

England’s Kane then scored his second spot-kick after a dubious handball decision from the video assistant referee.

And he netted a hat-trick of spot-kicks, and his fourth goal overall, after Alphonso Davies was fouled.

Leroy Sane came off the bench to smash in from 20 yards and Leon Goretzka headed in their ninth.

Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Kane also had goals disallowed for offside.

This is the joint second highest scoring Champions League game ever, level with Monaco’s 8-3 win over Deportivo La Coruna in 2003. The record remains Borussia Dortmund’s 8-4 win over Legia Warsaw in 2016.

Thomas Muller came on for Bayern for his 152nd Champions League appearance, passing Barcelona legend Xavi as the player to make the most appearances for a single club in the tournament.

Kane has scored nine goals in five games for Vincent Kompany’s Bayern this season, also hitting a hat-trick in Saturday’s 6-1 win at Holstein Kiel.

The 2024-25 Europa League league phase will get underway on September 25 and then conclude on January 30, with 36 teams participating in the new-look format.

Each team will play eight games against different opponents – four at home and four away – with all of the sides then being ranked in one group to determine whether they will advance to the next stage.

The total number of matches in the league phase will therefore rise to 144, up from 96 in the previous format, and Manchester United are among the favourites to challenge for the trophy this season.

Here, Sports Mole provides the Europa League fixtures, draw dates and the knockout rounds for the new-look competition, which should bring plenty of drama.

Gameweek One

Wednesday September 25

AZ Alkmaar vs. Elfsborg
Bodo/Glimt vs. Porto
Manchester United vs. FC Twente
Galatasaray vs. PAOK
Dynamo Kiev vs. Lazio
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. Slavia Prague
FC Midtjylland vs. Hoffenheim
Nice vs. Real Sociedad
Anderlecht vs. Ferencvaros

Thursday September 26

Fenerbahce vs. Union SG
Malmo vs. Rangers
Roma vs. Athletic Bilbao
Ajax vs. Besiktas
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Viktoria Plzen
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Qarabag FK
Braga vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv
Lyon vs. Olympiacos
FCSB vs. Rigas Futbola Skola

Gameweek Two

Thursday October 3

Lazio vs. Nice
Slavia Prague vs. Ajax
Real Sociedad vs. Anderlecht
Olympiacos vs. Braga
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. FC Midtjylland
Ferencvaros vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Qarabag FK vs. Malmo
Hoffenheim vs. Dynamo Kiev
RFS vs. Galatasaray
Porto vs. Manchester United
Rangers vs. Lyon
PAOK vs. FCSB
Viktoria Plzen vs. Ludogorets Razgrad
Union SG vs. Bodo/Glimt
Athletic Bilbao vs. AZ Alkmaar
FC Twente vs. Fenerbahce
Besiktas vs. Eintracht Franfkurt
Elfsborg vs. Roma

Gameweek Three

Wednesday October 23

Braga vs. Bodo/Glimt
Galatasaray vs. Elfsborg

Thursday October 24

Roma vs. Dynamo Kiev
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. RFS
PAOK vs. Viktoria Plzen
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Real Sociedad
Ferencvaros vs. Nice
Qarabag FK vs. Ajax
FC Midtjylland vs. Union SG
Porto vs. Hoffenheim
Rangers vs. FCSB
Tottenham Hotspur vs. AZ Alkmaar
Lyon vs. Besiktas
Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United
Malmo vs. Olympiacos
Athletic Bilbao vs. Slavia Prague
Anderlecht vs. Ludogorets Razgrad
FC Twente vs. Lazio

Gameweek Four

Wednesday November 6

Besiktas vs. Malmo

Thursday November 7

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Slavia Prague
Olympiacos vs. Rangers
Galatasaray vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Bodo/Glimt vs. Qarabag FK
Union SG vs. Roma
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. Athletic Bilbao
Nice vs. FC Twente
FCSB vs. FC Midtjylland
Elfsborg vs. Braga
Manchester United vs. PAOK
Ajax vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv
Lazio vs. Porto
AZ Alkmaar vs. Fenerbahce
Viktoria Plzen vs. Real Sociedad
Dynamo Kiev vs. Ferencvaros
Hoffenheim vs. Lyon
RFS vs. Anderlecht

Gameweek Five

Thursday November 28

Lazio vs. Ludogorets Razgrad
AZ Alkmaar vs. Galatasaray
Qarabag SK vs. Lyon
Dynamo Kiev vs. Viktoria Plzen
Athletic Bilbao vs. Elfsborg
Anderlecht vs. Porto
Besiktas vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv
RFS vs. PAOK
Manchester United vs. Bodo/Glimt
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Roma
Slavia Prague vs. Fenerbahce
Real Sociedad vs. Ajax
Braga vs. Hoffenheim
Ferencvaros vs. Malmo
FC Midtjylland vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Nice vs. Rangers
FC Twente vs. Union SG
FCSB vs. Olympiacos

Gameweek Six

Wednesday December 11

Fenerbahce vs. Athletic Bilbao

Thursday December 12

Roma vs. Braga
Olympiacos vs. FC Twente
PAOK vs. Ferencvaros
Viktoria Plzen vs. Manchester United
Union SG vs. Nice
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. AZ Alkmaar
Malmo vs. Galatasaray
Hoffenheim vs. FCSB
Porto vs. FC Midtjylland
Ajax vs. Lazio
Rangers vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Slavia Prague vs. Anderlecht
Real Sociedad vs. Dynamo Kiev
Lyon vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. RFS
Bodo/Glimt vs. Besiktas
Elfsborg vs. Qarabag FK

Gameweek Seven

Tuesday January 21

Galatasaray vs. Dynamo Kiev

Wednesday January 22

Besiktas vs. Athletic Bilbao

Thursday January 23

Porto vs. Olympiacos
AZ Alkmaar vs. Roma
Fenerbahce vs. Lyon
Qarabag FK vs. FCSB
Viktoria Plzen vs. Anderlecht
Bodo/Glimt vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv
Malmo vs. FC Twente
Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United vs. Rangers
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Ferencvaros
Lazio vs. Real Sociedad
PAOK vs. Slavia Prague
Union SG vs. Braga
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. FC Midtjylland
RFS vs. Ajax
Elfsborg vs. Nice

Gameweek Eight

Thursday January 30

Roma vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Ajax vs. Galatasaray
Rangers vs. Union SG
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Elfsborg
Slavia Prague vs. Malmo
Real Sociedad vs. PAOK
Braga vs. Lazio
Olympiacos vs. Qarabag FK
Lyon vs. Ludogorets Razgrad
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Porto
Ferencvaros vs. AZ Alkmaar
Dynamo Kiev vs. RFS
FC Midtjylland vs. Fenerbahce
Athletic Bilbao vs. Viktoria Plzeň
Nice vs. Bodo/Glimt
Anderlecht vs. Hoffenheim
FC Twente vs. Besiktas
FCSB vs. Manchester United

Knockout stage
Knockout round playoffs: February 13 and February 20, 2025
Round of 16: March 6 and March 13, 2025
Quarter-finals: April 10 and April 17, 2025
Semi-finals: May 1 and May 8, 2025
Final: May 21, 2025

Draw dates
Knockout round playoffs: January 31, 2025
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final: February 21, 2025