Diego Simeone has delivered a striking assessment of Ademola Lookman following Atletico Madrid’s hard-fought progression past FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Footynaija reports.
Despite losing 2-1 in the second leg, Atletico advanced 3-2 on aggregate, with Lookman’s first-half strike proving decisive across the tie.
The Nigerian forward, who arrived from Atalanta BC during the winter transfer window, has quickly become a key figure in Simeone’s system, contributing six goals and four assists in a short spell.
Reflecting on the performance, Simeone pointed to Lookman’s rapid development and growing tactical importance.
Lookman climbs to 3rd in the all time Nigerian UCL top scorers list 👑🦅 pic.twitter.com/yeVz0xhQje
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) April 15, 2026
“He’s still evolving, he’s improving a lot defensively which makes him even more important and of course he’s carrying more weight in the team,” the Atletico manager said.
Lookman’s attacking qualities, particularly his direct running and ability to stretch defences, were on full display against Barcelona.
Simeone was keen to emphasise how rare such attributes are within his squad.
“He’s brilliant offensively, he’s very courageous and he’s very good in one on one. Since I’ve been at the club, we’ve never had players like that with those features and well, we are betting everything on playing almost four forwards. Giuliano is a winger, he’s almost a forward and when he attacks, he’s an extra forward and when we attack we played from the heart.”
The Argentine coach also highlighted the physical intensity of the contest and Lookman’s role in driving the team forward.
“The amount of running we did was unbelievable and Lookman’s offensive importance giving pace to the team when he was on the ball. We need more from him, he has more in his tank and we’ve seen it in Nigeria and well, he’s always played great.”
Atletico will now prepare for a semi-final clash against either Arsenal or Sporting CP.
