By: Odeh Favour
Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, has hailed Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman as a very important player after the Nigerian international ended a six-game goal drought in their 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Lookman came on off the bench in the second half and netted in the 79th minute at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The winger was quickest to react inside the box, slotting home the rebound after Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens parried an initial strike from Jonathan David.
Prior to facing United, the 28-year-old forward had scored only once in all competitions this season.
The vital strike also marked a significant career milestone, representing his 100th senior club goal, according to figures from Transfermarkt.
Speaking after the match, Simeone showered praise on the forward’s attacking statistics, directness, and ability to take on opposing defenders.
“He is a very important player; he has very good stats, he scores goals, he is good in one-on-one situations,” the Argentine strategist said.
Simeone added that Lookman is continuously striving to display his full potential on a consistent basis for the Spanish giants.
“He is not at that point where that comes through, but he has rediscovered his scoring touch.
“He had the instinct to follow up the play and the rebound worked in his favour. We got the win we needed,” he said.
In the match itself, Atletico took the lead inside the very first minute through Pablo Barrios.
They eventually sealed the victory late in the second half after Manchester United’s Leny Yoro was shown a red card in the 74th minute for a last-man foul on David.
The impressive result extended Atletico Madrid’s winning streak to five consecutive matches across all competitions, while Manchester United have now gone five straight games without a victory.
