Nigerian star Ademola Lookman steals the spotlight as Atlético dismantle Barcelona in dominant semi final first leg
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman delivered a standout performance as Atlético Madrid stunned FC Barcelona with a commanding 4–0 victory in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi final at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Lookman scored and assisted in a devastating first half display that left the Spanish champions reeling and gave Atlético a massive advantage heading into the return leg.
The hosts went ahead early after a costly error from Eric García resulted in an own goal. From there, Atlético took full control. Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead with a composed finish before Lookman capped a brilliant team move to make it three. Julián Álvarez added the fourth, ending his goal drought and completing a ruthless first half.
Barcelona attempted to respond, with Fermín López hitting the crossbar and Pau Cubarsí seeing a goal disallowed after a VAR review. Their frustration deepened when García was sent off late in the match, leaving them with an uphill battle in the second leg.
Lookman’s energy and pace proved decisive throughout, drawing celebrations from coach Diego Simeone as Atlético produced arguably their best performance of the season.
The tie now shifts to the Camp Nou on 3 March, where Barcelona must attempt a dramatic comeback against a confident Atlético side chasing silverware.
In the other semi final fixture, Real Sociedad edged Athletic Bilbao 1–0 in their first leg encounter.
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