Nigeria international Ademola Lookman has opened his goalscoring account for Atletico Madrid this season, helping the Spanish side beat Sevilla 3-1 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Saturday.
Lookman struck in the 26th minute to put Atletico further ahead, cutting in from his preferred left-wing position before placing the ball into the bottom corner.
The goal ended a frustrating start to the campaign for the forward, who had failed to score in Atletico’s first two matches against Malaga and Villarreal.
Lookman had been used as a makeshift centre-forward in those games because of the absence of Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth. Atletico manager Diego Simeone later publicly apologised to the Nigerian over the decision to play him out of position.
Speaking after the victory, Lookman said he was pleased to finally get on the scoresheet but placed greater importance on Atletico securing the three points.
“I am very happy with the three points, of course. We played very well today, we were very sharp in the right moments,” he told Atletico’s official website.
The Nigerian added that getting his first goal of the season was also important, while praising the understanding among Atletico’s attacking players.
He said the team’s ability to combine effectively and maintain a common approach made the victory particularly satisfying.
Lookman praises Simeone
Lookman also addressed Simeone’s apology after the match, expressing his appreciation for the Atletico boss and his coaching staff.
The winger said working under Simeone had been valuable to his development and that he continued to learn from the manager and his team.
According to Lookman, the experience of playing under Simeone was helping him improve while also finding ways to contribute more to Atletico.
A fresh start at Atletico
Lookman moved to Atletico Madrid from Italian side Atalanta during the winter transfer window following a difficult opening half of the season in Serie A.
Since arriving in Madrid, the Nigerian has produced goals and assists, strengthening Simeone’s confidence in him.
His latest goal against Sevilla could provide an important boost as Atletico look to build momentum during the 2026/27 campaign.