Diego Simeone has praised Ademola Lookman following his standout display in Atlético Madrid’s 4–2 victory over RCD Espanyol.
The win ended Atlético’s three-game goal drought in La Liga, preventing what would have been their first four-match winless run in the competition since December 2021.
Lookman put the Red and Whites 3–1 ahead after perfectly timing his run and heading home at the back post from a corner. It marked the Nigeria international’s first league goal for the club.
Simeone Tasks Lookman
Despite commending the forward’s attacking instincts, Simeone urged him to improve other aspects of his game.
“Lookman brings us goals, more goals than overall play. He can still improve his overall play and defensive work,” Simeone told reporters after the match.
“We need him to adapt to the team’s way of playing in those aspects. His message is that he wants to improve as a footballer.
“He has that goal-scoring instinct — those goals he has scored are no coincidence. But we also need more from him in the overall game.”
Lookman has made a bright start to life in Spain, but Simeone’s comments underline the high tactical and defensive demands placed on players within Atlético’s system.
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.
