Ademola Lookman delivered a dazzling performance as Atlético Madrid stormed to a commanding 4–0 victory over FC Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Metropolitano Stadium on Thursday night.
The Nigerian forward scored once and provided an assist in a ruthless first-half display that left Barcelona reeling and Atlético firmly in control of the tie.
Diego Simeone’s men wasted no time asserting dominance. An early own goal from Eric García handed Atlético the lead before Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage just 14 minutes into the contest.
Lookman then made his mark in the 33rd minute, finishing calmly to make it 3–0 and send the home crowd into raptures.
Moments before the break, Julián Álvarez capped a devastating first half, converting from close range after being set up by Lookman to put Atlético four goals ahead.
The winter signing has made an immediate impression since arriving from Atalanta. With two goals and two assists in his first three appearances, Lookman is quickly becoming a key figure in Atlético’s attacking setup.
Speaking after the match, he expressed his delight at scoring his first home goal for the club. “I’m very, very happy. Of course, scoring is good, but I think the team played really well tonight. In the box, we were very professional, and today we showed a great level of teamwork. We got that energy from our fans tonight; they were amazing, so we are glad.”
On whether he expected to score against Barcelona, the forward added, “You always want to score as an attacker, always looking to get into dangerous positions, so I just try to be in the right place at the right time.”
The emphatic win leaves Barcelona facing a daunting task in the return leg, while Atlético Madrid now appears firmly on course for a place in the Copa del Rey final.
If Lookman continues in this form, he could prove decisive in Atlético’s pursuit of silverware this season.
