By Achile Danjuma
Ademola Lookman is on the verge of his first major trophy with Atlético Madrid. The Nigerian forward will look to take a decisive step toward that goal when his side hosts Barcelona in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Tuesday.
Atlético carry a commanding 4-0 aggregate lead into the clash at the Metropolitano Stadium, thanks largely to Lookman’s influence. Since his €35 million arrival from Atalanta in January, the 28-year-old has made an explosive start, registering two goals and two assists in just two Copa del Rey appearances, while also finding the net once in four La Liga outings.
In the first leg, Lookman delivered a standout performance, scoring and providing an assist in the emphatic victory that leaves Barcelona with a mountain to climb. It was only Atlético’s second win in their last 11 meetings with the Catalan giants, and it puts Diego Simeone’s side on the cusp of reaching their first Copa del Rey final since his debut season in 2012/13.
Atlético travel to Barcelona in formidable form. They have won three consecutive matches across all competitions, including a stunning 5-0 demolition of Real Betis in the quarterfinals. With just one loss in their last 11 competitive away games—a run that also includes a 1-0 win at Real Oviedo over the weekend—they will be confident of protecting their lead.
For Lookman, this represents another shot at silverware. His only major club trophy to date is the 2024 UEFA Europa League, where he famously scored a hat-trick to secure the title for Atalanta. He has also felt the disappointment of a final defeat, having lost the German Cup final with RB Leipzig in 2022.
Simeone appears to be carefully managing his star forward’s workload ahead of the crucial tie. Lookman played just 45 minutes in the weekend win over Oviedo, suggesting the Argentine coach is keeping his key assets fresh for the Barcelona clash.
Barcelona will be without the injured Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, but they still possess significant threats. Ferran Torres has scored in three of his last six meetings with Atlético, while Julián Álvarez has been in prolific form, finding the net in nine of his last ten goal-scoring appearances across all competitions. Atlético, meanwhile, reported only one absentee over the weekend in Pablo Barrios.