LOOKMAN AIMS TO SEAL COPA DEL REY FINAL PLACE WITH ATLÉTICO
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By: Fasasi Hammad
A few months after completing his move to Atlético Madrid, Ademola Lookman is targeting another milestone as he looks to edge closer to his first major trophy with the Rojiblancos when they host FC Barcelona in Tuesday’s Copa del Rey second leg, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Atlético are pushing to reach their first Copa del Rey final since the 2012/13 campaign, with Lookman playing a central role in Diego Simeone’s side.
The Nigerian forward, who joined for €35m in January, has made an immediate impact, contributing two goals and two assists in his opening two matches, along with another strike in four La Liga outings.
The 28-year-old was instrumental in Atlético’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg, registering both a goal and an assist to leave the Catalans facing an uphill battle ahead of the return fixture.
Atlético have not featured in a Copa del Rey final since Simeone’s debut season over a decade ago, but their commanding first-leg display has strengthened hopes of ending that drought.
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They head into the clash in strong form, having secured three straight wins in all competitions. That run includes a dominant 5-0 away triumph over Real Betis in the quarter-finals and a narrow 1-0 victory against Real Oviedo at the weekend. The results mean Atlético have suffered just one defeat in their last 11 competitive away matches.
Notably, the first-leg success — highlighted by Lookman’s goal — marked only Atlético’s second win in their previous 11 meetings with Barcelona.
At club level, Lookman’s sole major honour remains the 2024 UEFA Europa League title, where his remarkable hat-trick powered Atalanta BC to victory. He has also tasted defeat in a major final, losing 4-1 with RB Leipzig to Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final.
Lookman featured for just 45 minutes in the weekend win over Oviedo, indicating that Simeone may be carefully managing his fitness ahead of the decisive showdown.
Barcelona will look to forwards Ferran Torres and Julián Álvarez for inspiration, though the Catalan side will be without injured midfielders Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, while Pablo Barrios was Atlético’s only absentee in their last outing.
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