Ademola Lookman was imperious as Atalanta swept aside Sturm Graz 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League, reaffirming their quest for a quarterfinal spot.
The Super Eagles forward, who has endured a slow start to the year, began the match on the bench, despite scoring in Atalanta's weekend win over Napoli. Lookman entered at halftime, replacing Mateo Retegui with the score at a precarious 1-0.
The reigning CAF Footballer of the Year wasted no time making an impact. While his first potential assist in the 50th minute was disallowed due to an offside, Lookman remained unfazed, continuing to influence the game with his skill and energy.
In the 90th minute, the Nigerian forward found the back of the net, converting a pinpoint cross from Charles De Ketelaere, who was set up by a clever Juan Cuadrado backheel. Four minutes later, Lookman turned provider, weaving through defenders before setting up Marco Brescianini’s composed finish to seal the rout.
A perfect second-half display
Lookman’s statistics show his influence during the second half. He recorded 35 touches and completed all 19 of his attempted passes, achieving a 100% accuracy rate. The Nigerian international created one big chance and registered two key passes.
In front of goal, the former Everton youngster was dangerous throughout, taking six shots, three on target, one off target, and two blocked.
Despite missing two big chances, he ended with an expected goals (xG) value of 1.65 and an expected assists (xA) value of 0.32.
Defensively, Lookman won five of his nine ground duels while losing possession only four times. He was fouled once and caught offside once, further illustrating his relentless attacking effort.
Lookman has now scored four goals and bagged two assists in six UCL matches this season.
