Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was left on the bench for the entirety of the game as Atletico Madrid secured a routine 2-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla, while compatriot Umar Sadiq featured for the full 90 minutes, Footynaija.com reports.
With a crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal on the horizon, Atletico boss Diego Simeone opted to heavily rotate his squad.
None of the players who started the first leg were included from the off, with the Argentine tactician clearly prioritizing fitness and freshness for the decisive European encounter, hence Lookman’s absence from the game.
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On the pitch, the contest unfolded in a stop-start fashion, with both sides struggling to impose themselves early on. Atleti’s Nahuel Molina came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, unleashing a dipping strike from distance that crashed against the crossbar.
Sadiq was a lively presence for the hosts, combining well with Hugo Duro in one of their more promising moves. The Nigerian striker also thought he had given Valencia a lifeline after finding the back of the net, only for his effort to be chalked off for a foul in the buildup.
Atletico eventually made their dominance count late on. Substitute Iker Luque broke the deadlock in the 74th minute before fellow youngster Cubo doubled the advantage shortly after, finishing off a clever through ball from Antoine Griezmann.
The result keeps Atletico in fourth place with 63 points from 34 matches, while Valencia sit 13th on 39 points as they continue to struggle in the bottom half of the table.
With La Liga duties taken care of, attention now turns back to Europe, where Lookman is expected to play a crucial role as Atletico aim to usurp Arsenal at the Emirates and book a place in the Champions League final.
