Diego Simeone has praised Ademola Lookman’s unique attacking style after the Nigerian forward marked his Atletico Madrid debut with an eye-catching goal in a dominant 5-0 win over Real Betis in the Copa del Rey.
Ademola Lookman, 28, who completed a late January move from Atalanta, wasted no time endearing himself to the Atletico faithful. Introduced to a warm reception from the home crowd, Lookman delivered an immediate impact, scoring and providing an assist as Atletico cruised into the semi-finals.
In the 37th minute of the encounter, Lookman burst into the Betis penalty area, skipped past two defenders with sharp footwork and guided a bouncing finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Speaking after the match, Simeone made it clear that the club targeted Lookman for qualities they feel the squad previously lacked.
“His characteristics speak for themselves; he’s different from the players we have,” Simeone told reporters. “He’s more of a one-on-one player than a team player, although he has that aspect, but he allows us to play in several positions. He had a great impact.”
The Argentine expanded on his assessment in an interview with Movistar.
“He’s a big guy, he’s 28 years old. He came to help us and hopefully we’ll help him so he can continue to grow. He has different qualities than the players we have and that will make us better,” the coach said.
However, the night was not without concern for Atletico. Julian Alvarez, a key figure in the club’s attack, was left out of the starting lineup and did not feature. Simeone later revealed the forward had been unwell.
“Julian didn’t feel well last night,” Simeone explained. “This morning he tried to play, but he wasn’t strong enough for the game, and we agreed with the doctor that he shouldn’t start. He had a bad night and a complicated morning, he came, he wanted to be there, but we understood that it wasn’t a good idea to put him in.”
There were also injury worries for midfielder Pablo Barrios, who was forced off early in the second half.
“Barrios is our best midfielder, and he has an injury that will surely keep him out for a couple of games, so those waiting to play will get their chance,” Simeone said. “He is a pivotal player in the midfield and very important to us, we always try to protect him as much as possible, but today he got injured.”
Despite those setbacks, Atletico’s focus now shifts to domestic action, where Lookman is expected to feature again when Simeone’s side face Real Betis in LaLiga on Sunday.
