Osimhen vs Lookman: Who scored more match-winning goals in 2023-24?

Ademola Lookman is one week removed from his Europa League final exploits against previously undefeated Bayer Leverkusen, but the fanfare has not stopped. 

The Atalanta forward became the first player to score a final hat-trick in the competition’s current guise, securing La Dea’s first European title and Gian Piero Gasperini’s first trophy in over three decades as a manager. 

Despite Serie A’s final round taking place the previous weekend, Atalanta’s league season is not over, with the club’s rescheduled gameweek 29 encounter to be held on June 2. 

The Bergamo outfit host Europa Conference League finalists Fiorentina at the Gewiss Stadium, having had the initial fixture postponed because Viola director Joe Barone took ill in the team hotel on the day of the March 17 clash. Barone passed away a few days later. 

While Lookman could add to his 10 Serie A goals in the June 2 fixture, the forward is unlikely to surpass Victor Osimhen as the top-scoring Nigerian in the Italian top division. 

Lookman was equally pivotal in the Europa League knockout rounds, culminating in the club’s historic final success over Leverkusen. 

The Atalanta man’s league tally ranks five goals shy of last year’s Capocannoniere, who ended the campaign with 15 league strikes for a Napoli side that underwhelmed throughout their Scudetto defence. 

Osimhen’s 2023-24 season was not as goal-laden as the Partenopei No. 9’s league-winning campaign the year before, but 15 Serie A strikes was a commendable return. 

The Napoli man's tally was one shy of Dusan Vlahovic (16) and nine below top-scoring Lautaro Martinez (24), pointing to a decent output for the joint-third leading scorer in Italy's top division. Altogether, Osimhen netted 17 goals in what is expected to be his final year in Naples, a return lower than last season’s tally but commendable nonetheless. 

According to Transfermarkt, the Atalanta man — whose club have one game to go — has hit three game-clinching goals in Serie A, one shy of Osimhen’s four. 

However, the La Dea forward’s two match-winners against Marseille and Leverkusen in Europe take him above the Napoli striker. 

Lookman is expected to join Nigeria’s squad for World Cup qualifying games against South Africa and Benin on June 7 and 10. 

Those games will go ahead without Osimhen, who has withdrawn from the squad because of an undisclosed injury.