Ademola Lookman provided an assist as 10-man Atletico Madrid secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart in their UEFA Champions League encounter at the MHPArena on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles winger made an immediate impact after coming on at half-time, setting up Julian Alvarez for the equaliser just seconds after the break to cancel out Jamie Leweling’s first-half opener.
The result earned Atletico a valuable point after a difficult encounter in which they were forced to withstand sustained pressure from the hosts following their reduction to ten men.
Stuttgart started the game brightly, dominating possession and putting Atletico under pressure in the opening stages. Their persistence eventually paid off in the 36th minute when Leweling found the back of the net with a superb finish past Jan Oblak into the bottom corner to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
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With his side trailing at the break, Atletico manager Diego Simeone turned to his bench, introducing Lookman for Jonathan David in an attempt to change the course of the game.
The decision proved decisive almost immediately after the restart. Alejandro Grimaldo found Lookman in space down the left flank, and the Nigerian winger delivered a low cross into the box for Alvarez, who produced a first-time finish into the top-right corner to restore parity at 1-1.
The equaliser gave Atletico renewed confidence as they pushed for a winner, but their hopes of taking control of the contest suffered a setback in the 64th minute when Morten Hjulmand received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Angelo Stiller, leaving the visitors with ten men.
Stuttgart sought to capitalise on their numerical advantage, increasing the pressure in search of a late winner. Chris Führich, Grischa Prömel, Bilal El Khannouss and Jeff Chabot all had opportunities to put the hosts ahead, but Atletico’s defence stood firm.
The hosts continued to press deep into stoppage time and came close to snatching all three points when Maximilian Mittelstädt delivered a pinpoint cross into the box. However, Dženan Pejčinović failed to hit the target with his effort, sending the ball over the bar as Atletico held on for a draw.
The result leaves Atletico Madrid with four points from their opening three Champions League matches, placing them 15th in the league-phase standings. Stuttgart, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in the competition and occupy third place with seven points.
Atletico will now turn their attention to domestic action, with Deportivo La Coruña set to visit on Saturday. Stuttgart will also return to Bundesliga duties on Friday when they face Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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