By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Atlético Madrid stunned holders FC Barcelona with a commanding 4-0 victory in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Metropolitano Stadium, with Ademola Lookman delivering a standout performance that helped seal the emphatic win.
The hosts raced into a first-half lead thanks to an early own goal from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García, before Antoine Griezmann converted smartly in the 14th minute. Lookman then struck in the 33rd minute to make it 3-0 and later set up Julián Álvarez for Atlético’s fourth just before halftime.
Lookman — who joined Atlético from Atalanta during the winter window — continued his fine form with a composed goal and a decisive assist, further establishing himself as a key creative force in Diego Simeone’s side.
According to performance ratings, Lookman was Atlético’s standout performer, earning an 8.5 rating for his goal, assist and relentless attacking threat that consistently troubled Barcelona’s defence.
Speaking after the match, Lookman expressed his delight at contributing to such an important win:
“I’m very, very happy. Of course, scoring is good, but I think the team played really well tonight,” Lookman told Sporty TV.
“In the box, we were very professional, and today we showed a great level of teamwork. We got that energy from our fans tonight; they were amazing.”
When asked if scoring against Barcelona was a personal target, the Nigerian international added:
“You always want to score as an attacker, always looking to get into dangerous positions, so I just try to be in the right place at the right time.”
With such a commanding advantage, Atlético appear firmly poised to reach a Copa del Rey final for the first time in over a decade. Barcelona, meanwhile, face an uphill task when they host Atlético at the Camp Nou for the second leg on March 3.
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