Ademola Lookman has shared his thoughts after he played the key role as Atlético Madrid booked their place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after edging past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate, Soccernet.ng reports.
It was a tense and dramatic night at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid. Despite losing 2-1 in the second leg, Atlético did just enough to go through, thanks largely to Lookman’s crucial first-half goal. His calm finish proved to be the turning point in a tie that swung back and forth.
Barcelona started the game quickly. Young star Lamine Yamal scored early to give the visitors hope, and Ferran Torres added another goal to bring the tie level on aggregate. At that moment, Atlético were under serious pressure.
But Lookman stepped up when it mattered most. In the 31st minute, Marcos Llorente led a quick counterattack and delivered a low pass into the box. Lookman timed his run perfectly and finished with composure, restoring Atlético’s advantage.
The goal changed the mood inside the stadium. Barcelona thought they had another equaliser later in the match, but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. Their hopes faded further when Eric Garcia was sent off late in the game.
From that point, Atlético controlled the closing stages well, defending strongly to hold on and eliminate their Spanish rivals.
After the match, Lookman described the emotional nature of the game.
“It was a rollercoaster, with us going 2-0 down, and then it was a game of two halves, really. We stuck in there, and we got through to the semis,” he told TNT Sports as per Al Jazeera.
Ademola Lookman enters Nigerian and Champions League history
While Ademola Lookman’s goal was important for the result, it also placed him among Nigeria’s football greats.
With that strike, he became only the fourth Super Eagles player to score in a Champions League quarter-final. He now joins a special group that includes Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and Obafemi Martins.
The goal itself came at a crucial moment. Just before it, there had been a brief pause in play after an injury involving Fermín López. When the match resumed, Atlético looked sharper, and Lookman took full advantage of the situation.
Reflecting on that moment, he explained how the stoppage helped his team reset:
“As the game is going on, you are playing and the momentum changes and moments happen and then the pause [for the injury] – it kind of switched us back into gear, and we were able to create a few chances, and we got the goal, and we tried to continue in that way in the second half.”
Since joining Atlético, Lookman has made a strong impact, and this goal, his sixth for the club, could be his most important yet.
It not only sent his team into the semi-finals for the first time in ten years but also moved him up the list of Nigeria’s top scorers in the competition. Only Victor Osimhen and Obafemi Martins have scored more goals than Lookman in Europe's premier club competition.
Now, there is even more history within reach. Only two Nigerians have ever scored in a Champions League semi-final; Finidi George and Obafemi Martins. Lookman now has the chance to become the third when Atletico Madrid face either Arsenal or Sporting CP.
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