Diego Simeone Praises Ademola Lookman Despite Atletico Derby Defeat To Real Madrid

Diego Simeone has backed Ademola Lookman after Atlético Madrid fell 3-2 to Real Madrid in a La Liga derby on Sunday.

Ademola Lookman marked his first Madrid derby with a goal, opening the scoring in the 33rd minute. The Nigerian drove into the box and finished calmly after a clever backheel from Giuliano Simeone to give Atletico a halftime lead.

Real Madrid responded after the break. Vinícius Júnior struck twice, while Federico Valverde added another to seal the win. Nahuel Molina had briefly levelled for the visitors with a long-range effort before Vinicius restored the hosts’ advantage.

Speaking after the match, Simeone praised Lookman’s progress but called for improvement in his defensive work.

He said, “Well, Lookman is improving, he’s been working very hard. The thing is, he’s been playing in different attacking roles, and we need him to do that.

“We’re also helping him get better at defending so he can support our team’s defence. He’s already able to do that because he’s a young player with a big heart and a strong desire to learn and get better.

“So that’s fantastic, and hopefully he’ll continue to contribute important moments like he did today.”

Lookman was withdrawn early in the second half as Simeone reshuffled his side.

The forward’s strike made history. He became the first Nigerian to score in a Madrid derby and the eighth Atletico player this century to net on debut in the fixture. He now has nine goal involvements in 14 appearances for Atletico.