Ademola Lookman has praised Atletico Madrid’s fighting spirit after the Spanish side battled to a 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart in their UEFA Champions League encounter at the MHPArena on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles forward came off the bench at half-time and provided the assist for Julian Alvarez’s equaliser just seconds after the restart, helping Atletico earn a valuable point despite being reduced to ten men in the second half.
Speaking after the game, Lookman acknowledged the quality of their opponents and the difficulty of playing away from home, while expressing satisfaction with Atletico’s response after falling behind.
“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,” he said.
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Stuttgart had taken the lead in the 36th minute through Jamie Leweling, whose brilliant finish put the hosts ahead after a dominant spell in the first half.
However, Atletico manager Diego Simeone introduced Lookman at the interval, and the Nigerian winger made an immediate impact by delivering a low cross for Alvarez to finish emphatically and restore parity.
Atletico’s task became more difficult in the 64th minute when Morten Hjulmand received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Angelo Stiller, leaving the visitors to play the rest of the game with ten men.
Despite sustained pressure from Stuttgart, Atletico held firm to secure a point, with Lookman praising his teammates for their determination and collective effort.
“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,” the forward added.
Ademola Lookman explained the thinking behind his decisive contribution, revealing that he trusted Alvarez to make the most of the opportunity inside the penalty area.
“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.
Lookman’s assist proved crucial as Atletico resisted Stuttgart’s attempts to find a winner, with the hosts creating several opportunities, particularly after the visitors were reduced to ten men.
The Nigerian International acknowledged the influence of Atletico’s supporters, who continued to encourage the team as Stuttgart increased the pressure in the closing stages.
“They kept pushing us throughout the game. Especially after the 65th minute, they kept going and they were even louder. Thanks to them for their extra energy,” he said.
The draw leaves Atletico Madrid with four points from their opening three Champions League matches, while Stuttgart remain unbeaten and sit third in the league-phase standings with seven points.
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