It wasn’t Ademola Lookman’s best night in a red and white shirt, and on a different evening that would matter, but on Tuesday at the Metropolitano, Tottenham collapsed so thoroughly in the first 22 minutes that nobody on Atletico’s side needed to be at their peak, Footynaija.com reports.
While Griezmann and Alvarez took care of the carnage, Lookman played his part differently and in the way Simeone’s system demands from its wide players.
The Nigeria international started on the left side of Simeone’s 4-4-2 and was allowed to get at Pedro Porro, who had other problems that night and couldn’t offer much resistance going the other way.
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Lookman fired a dangerous cross across debuting goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky’s goal in the fifth minute that nearly caused problems before Spurs had even gathered themselves. He also forced substitute goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario into a fine near-post stop with his knee in the 33rd minute.
Had Vicario not reacted so, the scoreline could have been even uglier before the hour.
He was withdrawn in the 69th minute for Pablo Barrios, with Simeone managing the minutes of a player who scored against Club Brugge a fortnight ago and has been on a carefully managed workload since.
There’s a version of this Atletico side, healthier and in form for the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 18, where Lookman is the one who finishes Spurs off. They’ll need someone to, even if the tie is already done. And the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, finding his feet in the Spanish capital, looks like exactly the man for it.
