Ademola Lookman was the star of the show as Atletico Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday night.
The Nigerian forward scored one goal and provided an assist in a dominant performance at the Metropolitano Stadium, putting Diego Simeone’s side in firm control of the tie.
Atletico took an early lead after Barcelona defender Eric Garcia turned the ball into his own net.
Antoine Griezmann made it 2-0 in the 14th minute with a calm finish, as Barcelona struggled to cope with Atletico’s pace and intensity.
Lookman then added the third in the 33rd minute, finishing neatly to cap off a strong first-half display.
He also set up Julian Alvarez for Atletico’s fourth goal just before halftime, as the hosts went into the break with a comfortable advantage.
After the match, Lookman said he was delighted with the team’s performance.
“I’m very, very happy. Of course, scoring is good, but I think the team played really well tonight,” he told Sporty TV.
“We got that energy from our fans tonight; they were amazing, so we are glad.”
Lookman has now recorded two goals and two assists in his first three matches for Atletico Madrid since joining from Atalanta in January.
His impact has been immediate. On his debut for the club, the Super Eagles forward also impressed by scoring and registering an assist, showing early signs that he could be a key player in Simeone’s squad.
Speaking on his approach in front of goal, Lookman said scoring is always the main target for an attacker.
“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 return leg will be played on March 3 at the Spotify Camp Nou, with Barcelona facing a huge task to overturn the heavy defeat.