Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman explained his role in Julián Álvarez’s equaliser as Atlético Madrid secured a 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Lookman was introduced at half-time with Atlético trailing 1-0 after Jamie Leweling had put Stuttgart ahead in the 36th minute.
The Nigerian immediately made an impact, delivering the assist for Álvarez to level the contest shortly after the restart.
Reflecting on Atlético’s response after the break, Lookman acknowledged the difficulty of playing Stuttgart away from home and explained how his side attempted to change the game.
“I think they obviously started very well. A strong team playing away from home is never easy. But we wanted to try to change the tie in the second half, which we did with the goal,” he told the club’s media.
The forward then praised Atlético’s determination after Morten Hjulmand was sent off in the 64th minute, leaving the visitors to defend with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
“We kept pushing, but unfortunately, we went down to 10 men. We dug in, we showed our fight together, stuck together and we take a point away from home.”
Álvarez to finish when he delivered the ball into the box, highlighting the Argentine’s quality in front of goal.
“We just tried to look out for him in the box, he is deadly in the box. So, yeah, I knew he would score,” he said.
The Nigerian finally thanked Atlético’s travelling supporters for their encouragement throughout the difficult encounter.
“The whole match, we could hear them pushing us throughout the game. Especially after the 65th minute, they kept going, and they were even louder. So, thanks to them, thanks for them for the extra energy,” he concluded.
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