Ademola Lookman starred on his debut for Atletico Madrid, scoring and assisting in a 5-0 demolition of Real Betis on Thursday to seal a place in the Copa del Rey semifinals.
The 25-year-old Nigerian international, who signed from Serie A side Atalanta earlier this week, delivered a confident performance as Atletico ran riot at Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium.
Goals from David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann, Thiago Almada, and Lookman consigned Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis to a humiliating defeat in front of their home fans.
“We moved around a lot without the ball, giving options to whoever had it. A more fluid game, being in the right position, tactical order, and in the end, the chances and the game we were looking for appeared,” Griezmann told Movistar Plus.
“We are a team, a dressing room, a club and a fan base that are very easy-going. Anyone who joins us is welcomed with open arms from the very first second, and we can see that (with Lookman). Let’s enjoy him and hope he brings us joy.”
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Atletico flew out of the blocks and were ahead after 12 minutes when captain Koke delivered a precise corner that was met by defender Hancko, whose towering header was too strong for Betis goalkeeper Adrian.
Lookman, eager to make an instant impact, had two chances to double the lead in the first half. In the 16th minute, he missed the target from a one-on-one situation, and eight minutes later, he blasted over the crossbar with a first-time shot.
The second goal arrived in the 30th minute after a slick sequence of one-touch passes down the left flank. Matteo Ruggeri found Alex Baena, who exchanged passes with Lookman before the fullback crossed low for the 23-year-old son of coach Diego Simeone, Giuliano, who rifled a strike past Adrian.
Lookman, the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, got his breakthrough in the 37th minute by holding off one defender and dribbling past another in the box before slotting the ball inside the left corner.
After halftime, Atletico eased off but still added to their tally with another counter-attacking move. Lookman surged through the middle to draw defenders before laying off to Griezmann, who curled a shot into the top-right corner in the 62nd minute.
Substitute Thiago Almada completed the rout in the 83rd minute. After setting up Baena for an angled strike that Adrian could only parry, Almada pounced on the rebound to fire into an empty net.
Atletico’s victory was slightly marred by an injury to Barrios early in the second half. The Spanish midfielder appeared to pull his hamstring while attempting a sprint and had to be substituted.
The semifinal draw will take place on Friday, with Atletico, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad all in the last four. The ties will be played over two legs on February 10-12 and on March 3-5.
Reuters
