Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised the impact of Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman after his impressive debut in Thursday’s 5-0 win over Real Betis, SportPremi reports.
The 28-year-old played his first match for the club in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal clash on Thursday night, three days after completing a €40 million move from Italian side Atalanta.
Lookman showed no troubles adapting to a nee style of play, scoring one and providing another assist as he announced himself to the supporters of the club.
Lookman shines on debut
The Nigerian forward was given the nod to start in the absence of Julian Alvarez and he took his opportunity with a superb display.
Atletico Madrid opened the scoring through David Hancko and doubled their lead later on in the first half as Giuliano Simeone was on hand to tap home a cutback from Matteo Ruggeri, with Lookman involved in the buildup as well.
Atletico’s number 22 then got on the scoresheet later in the first half with a brilliant individual goal, beating two defenders with ease before firing into the corner for his 100th career goal.
Antoine Griezmann profited from a Lookman’s assist in the second half to add a fourth, before Thiago Almada completed a five-star display by the visitors as they sealed a 5-0 win and progress to the last four.
Simeone reacts to Atletico’s big win over Real Betis
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Simeone hailed Lookman’s arrival at the club and is hoping for more impressive displays by the Nigerian winger.
“He’s a big lad, he’s already 28 years old!, He came to help us, and we hope to help him too so that he can continue to grow,” Simeone said.
“He has different qualities to the players we have, and he will make us better.”
The 55-year-old also lauded the entire team display as they booked their spot in the semifinal with a very impressive victory.
“The team played very well. Betis had started well, but the goal from a set piece gave us confidence in our game. With a lot of hard work and quality play, we were able to maintain that level in the first half”, Simeone added.
“There were important things. The team has been playing important matches, and the goal puts us in a better position. In the second half, we continued with better intentions. This isn’t stopping. We need to rest quickly because we’re playing on Sunday.
We don’t just stick to one way of playing. The team is prepared to play in different ways and that’s what we’re going for”, he concluded.
Atletico Madrid will now shift their focus to La Liga action when they face Real Betis for the second time in four days in their league match on Sunday.
