Lookman praises Atletico Madrid’s resilience after Stuttgart draw

Ademola Lookman has praised Atletico Madrid’s determination after they secured a 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League despite finishing the match with 10 players.

The sides shared the points in their Matchday Three meeting at the MHPArena on Tuesday night, with Atletico recovering from a first-half deficit before defending resolutely after Morten Hjulmand was dismissed.

Stuttgart took the lead in the 36th minute when Jamie Leweling produced an excellent finish. Lookman was introduced after the interval and made an immediate impact, setting up Julian Alvarez for Atletico’s equaliser three minutes into the second half.

Diego Simeone’s side were reduced to 10 men with 25 minutes remaining after Hjulmand was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Angelo Stiller. Atletico nevertheless held firm to claim a valuable away point.

Lookman applauds Atletico’s character

Lookman said Atletico had responded positively after falling behind and continued to compete as a unit after the dismissal.

“I think they obviously started strong, they’re a strong team. Playing away from home is never easy. But we wanted to try change the tie in the second half, which we did with the goal,” Lookman told the club’s official website.

The Nigeria forward said the team’s collective effort became even more important after they were reduced to 10 players.

“We kept on pushing, but unfortunately we went down to ten men. We dug in, we showed our fight together, stuck together, we take a point away from home,” he added.

Lookman explains Alvarez assist

Lookman also described how he created the equalising goal for Alvarez.

The winger found the Argentine striker inside the penalty area shortly after half-time, with Alvarez finishing the move to bring Atletico level. Lookman said he was confident his team-mate would take advantage of the opportunity.

“I just tried to look out for him in the box. He’s deadly in the box so I knew he would score,” the 29-year-old said.

The draw gives Atletico Madrid four points from their opening three UEFA Champions League matches.