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Ademola Lookman is set for a high-profile showdown against FC Barcelona as Atlético Madrid host the Catalan side at the Civitan Metropolitan on today in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
The fixture pairs two of Spain’s biggest names, with Barcelona now seen as slight favorites after Real Madrid were knocked out. Still, every team left in the tournament has lifted the trophy within the past 13 years.
It also renews last season’s semi-final rivalry, which Barcelona edged 5–4 on aggregate and the tie featured a wild 4–4 first leg, followed by a 1–0 Barcelona win in Madrid to seal progression.
Atletico arrive seeking revenge and an opportunity for silverware, with their La Liga title hopes hanging by a thread as they sit third with 45 points, 13 behind leaders Barcelona.
Atletico arrive seeking revenge and an opportunity for silverware, with their La Liga title hopes hanging by a thread as they sit third with 45 points, 13 behind leaders Barcelona.
The Copa del Rey represents a significant opportunity for Diego Simeone’s side, who secured their semi-final spot emphatically by dismantling Real Betis 5-0 in the quarter-finals, with Lookman scoring on his debut.
However, momentum was halted as Atletico suffered a 1-0 La Liga defeat to the same Betis side at the weekend, a result that means Simeone’s men have won just two of their last five matches across all competitions.
Lookman has added an attacking edge to Simeone’s side since joining from Atalanta during the winter transfer window just as the 28-year-old Nigeria international scored his 100th career goal in that 5-0 victory, racing past the Betis defence in the 37th minute and slotting the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
His creative influence continued after half-time when he delivered a perfectly weighted pass for Antoine Griezmann to fire home Atletico’s fourth goal from the edge of the area, earning praise from both his coach and teammates.
Lookman’s milestone goal made him the first Nigerian player to score in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and the Copa del Rey, with the striker now having found the net on his debut for his last four teams – Everton, RB Leipzig, Atalanta and Atletico Madrid.
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