Ademola Lookman has praised his Atalanta side for their strong showing against Real Madrid, despite suffering a narrow 3-2 loss in their UEFA Champions League clash at the Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday night.

The match marked the first defeat for the reigning UEFA Europa League champions in the Champions League this season, but Atalanta’s performance sent a clear message: they are capable of competing with Europe’s best.

Lookman, who scored Atalanta’s second goal in the intense encounter, was named Man of the Match for his standout contribution.

His goal helped keep the pressure on the Spanish giants, but despite their efforts, Atalanta could not find an equalizer after a dramatic late goal from Real Madrid sealed the victory.

Reflecting on the match, Lookman shared his thoughts with UEFA.com, emphasizing the team’s pride in their performance, despite the result.

“It was a tough game, and Real Madrid took their chances when they had them,” Lookman said.

“We knew going into the match that it would be a hard-fought contest, and although we were unlucky not to come away with a win, we have our heads held high.”

Although disappointed with the final scoreline, the Nigerian forward expressed the belief that Atalanta had shown enough to demonstrate their ability to compete at the highest level.

“We are disappointed with the result because we felt we could have done more,” Lookman continued, “but there’s also a lot of pride in how we played.

We showed that we can go toe-to-toe with the best.”