By Dorcas Francis Koji
Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman has expressed his delight after opening his goalscoring account for Atletico Madrid this season in their 3-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Saturday.
The Nigeria international struck Atletico’s second goal in the 26th minute, cutting in from his preferred left-wing position before finding the bottom corner to help Diego Simeone’s side secure an important away victory.
Lookman’s goal ended a frustrating start to the campaign, with the forward failing to score in Atletico’s opening two matches against Malaga and Villarreal.
During those games, Lookman had been deployed as a makeshift centre-forward because of the absence of Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth, a positional change that appeared to affect his influence in attack.
Simeone subsequently apologised publicly to the Nigerian over the decision, and Lookman responded on the pitch by returning to the wing and finding the net against Sevilla.
Speaking to Atletico Madrid’s official website after the match, Lookman expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and his first goal of the season.
“I am very happy with the three points, of course. We played very well today, we were very sharp in the right moments,” Lookman said.
“Good to get off the mark, of course. I am happy to win, and that is the most important thing. Top players interlinking together, playing with the same mindset, of course I am happy to play with the guys.”
The 28-year-old also reflected on Simeone’s apology when speaking to ESPN, praising the Argentine coach and his technical staff for their role in his development.
“Playing under him is fantastic. I am gaining a lot of knowledge and working on my improvement. Learning from him and his team is crucial for my growth and for assisting the team,” he said.
Lookman joined Atletico Madrid from Italian side Atalanta during the winter transfer window after a difficult first half of the season in Serie A.
Since making the move to Madrid, the Nigerian has gradually established himself as an important attacking option for Simeone, contributing goals and assists while earning the confidence of the Atletico boss.
His latest strike will be particularly encouraging as he looks to regain his best form and play a bigger role in Atletico Madrid’s ambitions for the 2026/27 campaign.
For the Super Eagles, Lookman’s return to the scoresheet is also positive news, with the forward remaining one of Nigeria’s key attacking players.
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