Lookman shines as Atletico hammer Barca in Copa Shocker
Atletico Madrid took a massive step toward this year’s Copa del Rey final after a stunning 4-0demolition of defending champions Barcelona. In a one-sided semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano,
- Peseiro speaks on striker’s switch to Nigeria
Atletico Madrid took a massive step toward this year’s Copa del Rey final after a stunning 4-0demolition of defending champions Barcelona. In a one-sided semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano, Nigeria international Ademola Lookman was one of the stars of the show, finding the net in a dominant team performance.
In a tie billed as the ‘final before the final,’ it was Atletico who showed the superior hunger. Egged on by a delirious home crowd, the hosts raced into a 4-0 first-half lead. The rout began in the 7th minute when an under-pressure Joan Garcia inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage in the 14th minute, firing home a trademark left-footed strike that left the visitors shell-shocked. Despite Barcelona controlling the lion's share of possession, they lacked the clinical edge shown by Diego Simeone’s men.
The third goal arrived in the 33rd minute when Lookman capitalized on a brilliant setup from Julian Alvarez to slot home with his right foot. Alvarez then turned from provider to finisher, adding a fourth in the dying moments of the first half to effectively end the contest before the break.
Barcelona attempted a fightback after the interval, but Pau Cubarsi saw his 52nd -minute effort chalked off following a VAR review. The game settled into a more balanced affair thereafter. Lookman was eventually substituted for Thiago Almada in the 77th minute to a standing ovation, as Atletico held firmly to preserve their commanding lead.
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The return leg is scheduled for March 3rd at the Spotify Camp Nou. The aggregate winner will head to Seville for the final on April 18/19 to face either Athletic Club or Real Sociedad.
Amid Lookman’s scintillating form in Spain, former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has opened up on the forward’s journey to representing Nigeria.
Speaking to Marca, Peseiro revealed that Lookman only committed to the Super Eagles after realizing a senior England call-up was unlikely.
"He was very young and always told me how disappointed he felt," Peseiro said. "After winning the Under-20 World Cup with England, the calls simply stopped. He eventually had to accept the situation."
Lookman, who debuted for Nigeria in 2022, truly "exploded" under Peseiro’s tutelage during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Now a mainstay with 11 goals in 41 appearances, Peseiro praised the forward's temperament and tactical versatility.
"He is calm, respectful, and not a 'superstar' personality," Peseiro noted. "On the wing, he is unpredictable, but closer to the goal, he is lethal. Once he embraced Nigeria completely, his career reached a new level."
