Lookman Shines As Atalanta Stun Chelsea — Osimhen’s Galatasaray Lose Again

Ademola Lookman produced a man-of-the-moment performance as Atalanta secured a 2–1 win over Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League fixture on Tuesday night. The Nigerian winger played 87 minutes before being substituted for Mario Pasalić. With that showing, he now boasts one goal and one assist in five UCL appearances this season.

Chelsea had taken the lead in the 25th minute through João Pedro, who finished neatly from a Reece James cross. But Atalanta responded — Gianluca Scamacca equalised with a close-range header early in the second half. Then, seven minutes from time, Charles De Ketelaere struck the decisive blow, firing in the goal that sealed Atalanta’s comeback win.

Meanwhile, in another match involving Nigerians abroad, Victor Osimhen played the full 90 minutes for Galatasaray but could not prevent a 1–0 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco.  The winning goal came in the 68th minute from Folarin Balogun.

Editorial

There was a certain poetry to Atalanta’s evening. When Chelsea scribbled the first line a neat corner, João Pedro’s poise it felt ominous the weight of expectation, the ghost of past European nights where the English side muddled through. But then came the riposte, not with flair, but with steel not with brilliance, but with belief. That is the quiet beauty of this Atalanta  unflashy, unsentimental, utterly hungry.

In Lookman, they possess more than just a forward with Nigerian flair. He is a slice of audacious promise, a living rebuttal to critics who questioned his consistency. For much of the match he was a ghost in Chelsea’s chaotic structure until he materialised where it mattered, when it mattered. Scamacca’s header was calm, De Ketelaere’s finish clinical. Yet it was the rhythm Atalanta found down the flanks, the patience in possession, the willingness to press that told the truer story. This was not merely a win, but a statement Atalanta have arrived in this Champions League with intent.

Contrast that with Galatasaray’s night and with Osimhen’s frustration. Here was a man of undeniable quality, playing full tilt, but ultimately invisible in the final stages. Sometimes football is cruel it sees not what you bring, but what you fail to claim. The difference between the two clubs tonight lay in ruthlessness, in taking what was there. Atalanta grabbed theirs. Galatasaray and Osimhen left searching for chances that never came.

European football demands more than pedigree. It demands purpose. On nights like this, that is the margin between triumph and heartbreak.

Did You Know?

1. In the current 2025–26 Champions League campaign, Lookman has now contributed to Atalanta’s last four UCL goals either scoring or assisting — underscoring his growing influence in Europe.
2. This victory over Chelsea is only Atalanta’s second win ever against English opposition in their European history, a modest statistic that belies the belief their side is now imbued with.
3. Lookman was voted CAF African Player of the Year earlier this season a landmark honour that confirmed his status among the continent’s elite.
4. Chelsea’s starting XI for this match featured multiple changes from their usual Premier League line-up, reflecting a congested fixture list and raising questions about squad depth a vulnerability Atalanta exploited.
5. Despite playing a full 90 minutes, Osimhen’s latest outing extends a bumpy run in European competition this season, highlighting how even the finest forwards can struggle when midfield supply and team cohesion falter.