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Ademola Lookman Makes History But Real Madrid Rally To Beat Atletico In Derby Thriller

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6:44 am

Ademola Lookman Makes History But Real Madrid Rally To Beat Atletico In Derby Thriller

Ademola Lookman became the first Nigerian to score in a Madrid derby, but his goal was not enough as 10-man Real Madrid came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in Sunday’s La Liga clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Atletico led 1-0 at halftime through Lookman before Madrid turned the game around after the break.

The win kept Real Madrid’s title chase alive.

The result moved Madrid to 69 points, four behind leaders Barcelona on 73 after Barca’s 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano earlier on Sunday. Atletico remained fourth on 57 points.

Despite Madrid’s bright start, it was Atletico who struck first in the 33rd minute.

Lookman finished from close range after a slick attacking move, giving Diego Simeone’s side the advantage and etching his name into the history books as the first Nigerian scorer in the fixture.

Lookman’s February move from Atalanta means this is indeed a Nigerian milestone in this matchup.

Madrid came out with far greater urgency in the second half and turned the contest around inside 10 minutes. Vinicius Junior equalised from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute before Federico Valverde put the hosts ahead three minutes later.

Atletico responded through a superb Nahuel Molina strike in the 66th minute, but Vinicius grabbed the winner in the 72nd with a solo effort.

There was still more drama to come, as Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men late on when Valverde was sent off after a VAR review.

Even so, Atletico could not force a third equaliser, Julian Alvarez hit the post during the frantic closing stages.

Lookman’s goal was his second in La Liga since joining Atletico Madrid in February, after he scored on his debut in the Copa del Rey and later signed for the club from Atalanta.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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