Atletico Madrid’s Ademola Lookman has made history by becoming Nigeria’s third-highest scorer in Champions League history, following his goal in the 2-1 loss to Barcelona on Tuesday.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for Barcelona early in the fourth minute at Estadio Metropolitano, with Ferran Torres adding a second goal in the 24th minute, assisted by Dani Olmo.
Ademola Lookman, the former African Player of the Year, managed to pull one back just seven minutes later in an action-packed first half.
Taking advantage of a low pass from Marcos Llorente, Lookman found the net from close range, reigniting hopes for Diego Simeone’s side.
With this goal, he surpassed Victor Ikpeba’s previous record of seven Champions League goals, scoring his eighth in just 21 appearances.
Only Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, with 16 goals, and former Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins, with nine goals, have more Champions League goals as Nigerians.
Barcelona’s chances of a comeback were hampered further when Eric García was sent off in the 80th minute for a foul on Alexander Sorloth, as they exited the competition with a 3-2 aggregate score.
This match marked the third occasion Atletico Madrid has eliminated Barcelona at this stage, having previously done so in 2014 and 2016.
In addition to his goal, Lookman showcased a brilliant overall performance, as reflected in the stats before being substituted in the 66th minute for Nicolas Gonzalez.
Since joining the La Liga outfit from Atalanta on a four-and-a-half-year deal, the Super Eagles forward has been in remarkable form, scoring on his debut against Real Betis and matching Luis Suarez’s record for the best start at Atletico Madrid in the 2020/21 season.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster. Obviously, going 2-0 down was tough, but the game was a tale of two halves,” he said in an interview with TNT Sports.
“We held our ground and fought back, and even though we didn’t win tonight, the most important thing is that we’ve made it through to the semi-finals.”
Atletico manager Simeone, reflecting on his team’s tactical development and their ability to overcome Barcelona over the years, stated that the squad is now focused on a more attacking philosophy.
“Eliminating Barca in the Champions League quarter-finals isn’t an easy task. We have faced (Lionel) Messi’s Barca, Yamal’s Barca, and we’ve managed to do it,” the Argentine remarked to the media.
“It’s been 14 years, and seeing the team still compete fills me with pride. The players have changed, we’ve restarted many times, and once again we are among the four best teams in Europe. It’s fantastic to be competing in a Champions League semi-final!”
Atletico Madrid will now face either Arsenal or Sporting CP in the semi-final, vying for a place in the final.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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