Ademola Lookman shone on his Atlético Madrid debut, scoring and assisting in a 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, Footynaija.com reports.
The Nigeria international, who only completed his move from Atalanta days earlier, was named in Diego Simeone’s starting line-up and played a central role in one of Atlético’s most one sided wins of the season.
The former Leicester City and RB Leipzig forward signed a contract running until the summer of 2030, ending a transfer saga that had stretched back to last summer and included failed approaches from other clubs before Atlético pushed through the agreement during the winter window.
Simeone handed the 28-year-old his debut in a knockout fixture, starting him in a front line that also included Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone. Atlético took control early, opening the scoring through David Hancko before doubling their lead thanks to Simeone’s son.
Lookman scored the third goal in the 37th minute, driving into the penalty area after beating his marker and finishing low past the goalkeeper. He later turned provider, setting up Griezmann for Atlético’s fourth before Thiago Almada completed the scoring in the closing stages.
What Lookman Said
After the match, Lookman, speaking to SportyTV, described the night as a personal milestone, saying, “I’m very, very happy, it’s been great coming here, being welcomed by the team and the staff, everyone’s been great with me, so it’s a dream start.”
The forward explained his approach on the pitch, adding, “Obviously, I just try to make the runs, try to be dangerous in the one v one situations and moments where I feel there’s something, so it’s just about repetition, to keep doing the same moments and try to be dangerous.”
The Super Eagles winger also spoke about his mindset following the move from Serie A, where he had been one of Atalanta’s leading attackers over the last three seasons.
“I’m very happy to be at a special club, and that happiness, the feeling, makes me want to work hard, makes me want to perform,” he said. “That’s what I have to keep doing. Keep working hard, keep staying dedicated, keep on trying to be consistent every single day, and that’s the most important thing.”
On the team display, Lookman pointed to Atlético’s balance on the night, noting both their attacking output and defensive control.
“We’ll try to do the same thing because we created a lot of chances today, so we’ll try to hurt them in those moments, but we’ll also stay strong without the ball,” he said.
“We were very solid defensively, and we have to keep it going.”
