SEVILLE, SPAIN — Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman continued his impressive start to life at Atletico Madrid, scoring the second goal in a commanding 3-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday, a result that propelled Diego Simeone’s men to the summit of the La Liga table .
The Rojiblancos, who have now amassed seven points from their opening three fixtures, produced a devastating first-half display to silence the Andalusian crowd . The victory was particularly significant as it came amid the ongoing distraction of the Julian Alvarez transfer saga, with the wantaway Argentine striker left out of the matchday squad following a week of intense speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona and Arsenal .
Atletico wasted no time in asserting their authority, taking the lead within the opening four minutes. Summer signing Lee Kang-in, who arrived from European champions Paris Saint-Germain, produced an excellent through ball to release Alex Baena, who rifled a low shot past Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos . The early goal set the tone for a dominant first half from the visitors.
The lead was doubled in the 26th minute through Lookman, who continues to justify Simeone’s faith in his attacking abilities. The Super Eagles forward received the ball on the edge of the area, calmly advanced towards goal, and planted a clever shot inside the near post, leaving Vlachodimos with no chance . Earlier reports had indicated he found space inside the penalty area to guide Pablo Barrios’ pass into the bottom-left corner .
Baena completed his brace just seven minutes later, driving a shot into the bottom corner from outside the box after being teed up by Marcos Llorente . The Spanish World Cup winner’s second goal effectively put the game beyond Sevilla’s reach before the half-time whistle, with the scoreline reading 3-0 to the visitors .
Sevilla showed more intent after the restart and eventually pulled a goal back in the 66th minute through Miguel Sierra, who reacted quickest to a rebound inside the box to volley home . The hosts improved significantly in the second period but never truly threatened a comeback, as Atletico managed the game effectively to secure the three points .
Lookman, who had been a constant threat with his movement and attacking instinct, was substituted moments after Sevilla’s goal as Simeone introduced fresh legs to see out the victory . The Nigerian had briefly thought he had scored again after the restart, but the goal was ruled out for offside, and another effort from the edge of the box was also blocked before his withdrawal . Nevertheless, his performance, which included a well-taken goal and relentless pressure on the Sevilla defence, was a key factor in the comprehensive win.
The result means Atletico Madrid are now provisionally top of La Liga, having recovered impressively from last weekend’s disappointing 2-2 home draw with Villarreal . For Sevilla, it was a sobering evening as they remain in the lower half of the table with just one point from their opening three matches. Simeone will be delighted with the response from his squad, particularly the front two of Lookman and Baena, who combined to devastating effect in the absence of their star striker .
The victory serves as a strong statement of intent from Atletico as they aim to challenge for the La Liga title. With the transfer window still open and the Alvarez situation unresolved, Simeone will be pleased that his squad has demonstrated the resilience and quality to navigate such distractions and deliver a dominant performance on the road .
