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By Goli Innocent
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman delivered another decisive display off the bench as Atletico Madrid thrashed Club Brugge 4-1 to seal a 7-4 aggregate victory in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
After a pulsating 3-3 draw in the first leg, Atletico asserted their dominance at the Estadio Metropolitano. Alexander Sørloth opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, latching onto a precise long ball from Jan Oblak before finishing calmly. Club Brugge responded through Joel Ordonez, who headed home to restore parity before the break.
The hosts regained control early in the second half when Johnny Cardoso struck three minutes after the restart to make it 2-1. Despite the absence of suspended Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika, Brugge enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.
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The contest turned decisively in the 70th minute when manager Diego Simeone introduced Lookman. The Nigerian winger made an immediate impact, spearheading a swift counter-attack six minutes later. Combining brilliantly with Sørloth and Antoine Griezmann, Lookman showed composure and unselfishness to square the ball for the Norwegian, who slotted home for his second of the night.
Sørloth completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute to wrap up an emphatic victory, ensuring Atletico’s comfortable progression. Lookman’s late cameo yielded an assist and a flawless record in both dribbles and ground duels during his 20-minute appearance.
The result sends Atletico confidently into the next round, while Brugge bow out despite a spirited showing across both legs. For Lookman, it marked his seventh goal contribution for the Spanish side this season, underlining his growing influence in Madrid.
