LOOKMAN SCORES ON ATLETICO DEBUT AS MADRID CLUB REACH COPA DEL REY SEMI-FINALS

Atletico Madrid secured a place in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey following an emphatic 5-0 victory over Real Betis, with Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman marking his debut with a goal. The Rojiblancos delivered a commanding performance in Seville, comfortably advancing to the last four of Spain’s prestigious domestic cup competition. 

The victory sees Diego Simeone’s side join defending champions Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad in the semi-finals of the tournament. Atletico laid the foundation for the resounding win with a dominant first-half display that saw them race to a three-goal lead against their hosts. 

Lookman, who joined Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day from Serie A side Atalanta in a deal reportedly worth €40 million, wasted no time in making an impact. The 28-year-old, who was crowned the 2024 African Player of the Year, scored his first goal for the club in the 37th minute after dribbling past two defenders before beating goalkeeper Adrian. 

The Nigerian international also played a key role in Atletico’s fourth goal, using his pace during a counter-attack to set up Antoine Griezmann, who finished clinically just after the hour mark. Thiago Almada later added another goal to cap a superb outing for the La Liga side at La Cartuja Stadium. 

Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Athletic Bilbao progressed after securing a late 2-1 victory over Valencia, courtesy of a dramatic 96th-minute winner from Inaki Williams. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad advanced after staging a comeback to defeat Alaves 3-2 in a thrilling encounter. 

Barcelona also secured their place in the semi-finals earlier in the week with a narrow 2-1 win over second-tier side Albacete, with goals from Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo proving decisive. The results set up a highly competitive semi-final stage featuring four of Spain’s strongest clubs.