La Liga
Lookman shines on Atletico debut in 5-0 Betis rout
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 semi-finals.
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.”
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 immediate 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 a hamstring while sprinting and had to be substituted.
The semi-final 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
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Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Nigeria international Ademola Lookman, the LaLiga club confirmed on Sunday.
“The Nigerian international is already in Madrid to undergo the relevant medical examination and finalise his new contract,” Atletico said in a statement on their website.
Atletico gave no details about the transfer fee or the length of the contract. Spanish media reported that Atletico would pay 35 million euros ($41 million) for the forward.
The 28-year-old has shone since joining Atalanta in 2022 from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, netting 55 goals in all competitions.
His standout moment was a hat-trick in Atalanta’s 2024 Europa League final triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, a result that secured the Italian club’s first European trophy and ended Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-match unbeaten run.
Lookman’s treble made him the sixth player in history to score three goals in a European club final, and the first since 1975.
Born in London, Lookman began his professional career at Charlton Athletic in 2015, earning a move to Everton in 2017. While he scored on his Premier League debut for the Toffees, he struggled to find consistent opportunities and was loaned to RB Leipzig in 2018.
Following a successful spell in Germany, Lookman made a permanent 22.5 million pounds ($30.7 million) transfer to Leipzig in 2019.
However, first-team chances proved scarce in the Bundesliga, prompting loans to Fulham and Leicester City in the Premier League before his transformative switch to Serie A with Atalanta.
Now under Diego Simeone at Atletico, Lookman arrives as a key addition to bolster the side, who sit third in LaLiga with 45 points, 10 behind leaders Barcelona.
Atletico will hope the Nigerian’s firepower can boost their campaign as they prepare for a two-legged Champions League knockout playoff clash against Club Brugge later this month.
-Reuters
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Barcelona will return to competitive action at their famous Camp Nou stadium on Saturday for the first time in two-and-a-half years when they host Athletic Bilbao in a LaLiga fixture.
It will be an emotional homecoming as the club reopens its partially renovated ground, with a temporarily reduced capacity, as part of its ambitious redevelopment project.
“The match corresponding to matchday 13 of the League, against Athletic Club, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at 16:15, will finally be played at Spotify Camp Nou,” Barcelona said in a statement on Monday.
The capacity currently allowed is 45,401, it said, well below the 105,000 seats the venue is intended to have once the renovation is finished.
“Barcelona celebrates being able to compete again at its stadium and continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Camp Nou,” the club added.
The Catalan club last played an official match at Camp Nou on May 28, 2023, against Mallorca, before the stadium was closed for extensive renovations.
Since then, Barcelona have been playing home fixtures at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc which has a similar capacity to the reduced Camp Nou.
The club said they are liaising with European governing body UEFA to also hold next week’s Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the revamped Camp Nou, though official confirmation is pending.
While the renovation means that fans will not yet witness the stadium at full capacity, the temporary arrangements still offer a heartfelt opportunity for many fans to return to their spiritual home.
-Reuters
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Thursday the club is planning to erect a statue of Lionel Messi outside the newly renovated Camp Nou, as the Catalan side prepare to honour their record scorer after his emotional visit to the stadium.
Messi, 38, returned to Barcelona on Sunday to tour the revamped ground for the first time since leaving the club in 2021, later posting on Instagram that he hoped to “return one day, and not just to say goodbye as a player.”
Laporta, speaking at a book presentation in Barcelona, said the board had already discussed plans for a permanent tribute to the Argentine World Cup winner.
“Messi will always be linked to Barca, he knows that the doors are open for him. We have absolute respect for him, he deserves the best tribute,” he said.
“He should have a statue at Spotify Camp Nou, like (Johan) Cruyff and (Laszlo) Kubala. He is one of those iconic players who have left their mark on us. We have discussed it at a meeting and are working on it. The family must agree, and all Barca fans would want it.”
Laporta previously dismissed suggestions that Messi could return to play for Barca, calling the idea “unrealistic” given the forward’s contract with MLS side Inter Miami, which he extended last month.
Messi, who joined Barca’s academy at 13, scored 672 goals in 778 appearances and led the team to 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups during his 21 years at the club.
The Camp Nou, closed for almost 900 days for renovation, reopened on Friday with an open training session attended by more than 20,000 fans. Laporta said the club hopes to host “the most beautiful tribute in the world” once the project is complete.
-Reuters
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