Atletico Madrid 1-0 Getafe: Simeone’s call limits Ademola Lookman as Rojiblancos claim slim win

Super Eagles attacker Ademola Lookman made an appearance off the bench for Atletico Madrid in their 1-0 victory over Getafe on Saturday, Afrik-Foot reports.

​Following their impressive 5-2 win over Tottenham in the Champions League in midweek, Atleti returned to La Liga action against Getafe at the Estadio Metropolitano. However, coach Diego Simeone dropped Lookman to the bench, preferring to start Nicolas Gonzalez instead.

​Atletico entered the match as favorites and immediately stepped on the gas, finding the opener early through Nahuel Molina.

The Argentine struck a wicked shot from nearly 25 yards out, sending the ball nestling into the top-right corner. Simeone’s side dominated the first half, recording eight attempts, but Molina’s strike remained the only goal as they headed into the break.

​In the second half, Atletico Madrid continued to pile on the pressure. Just ten minutes after the restart, they gained a significant advantage after Getafe’s Abdel Abqar was sent off for unsporting conduct. Despite being a man down, Getafe grew into the game and began creating more chances.

​In the 66th minute, Lookman was introduced, replacing Thiago Almada. As expected, the Super Eagles star’s arrival added pace to the attack, as Atleti began probing more frequently and asking questions of the visitors’ backline.

Lookman had a notable effort in the 87th minute, but his strike was off-target and failed to trouble the goalkeeper. Ultimately, Molina’s early goal proved to be the difference as the contest ended 1-0 in Madrid.

​Ademola Lookman’s Scoreless Run Continues

​After Ademola Lookman joined Atletico Madrid in January, he started his tenure like a house on fire, registering goals and assists in his first few games. However, over the last two weeks, he has struggled to find the back of the net.

​Against Getafe today, he was likely disappointed not to start. Had he been in the starting eleven, he might have found better looks at goal and had more time to end his drought.

​Nonetheless, he is expected to see more minutes against Tottenham in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie this midweek.

As one of the few players in the Atleti squad with extensive experience against English opposition, Lookman will be hoping to make a major impact and finally end his barren run.