Atlético’s Ademola Lookman becomes 4th Super Eagles star with UCL quarterfinal goal

Ademola Lookman has written his name into Nigerian football history after becoming only the fourth Super Eagles player to score in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final, Soccernet.ng reports.

The former Atalanta forward struck for Atlético Madrid in their high-stakes second-leg clash against Barcelona, delivering a goal that changed the direction of the tie.

Lookman’s moment came in the 31st minute at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, just as the match was beginning to slip away from Atlético.

Barcelona had started brightly, scoring twice early through Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres to wipe out Atlético’s first-leg advantage.

With the aggregate score suddenly level, tension grew inside the stadium. But Lookman stepped up at exactly the right time.

The move began shortly after a brief stoppage caused by a collision involving Fermín López and Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso. Once play resumed, Atlético broke forward quickly. Marcos Llorente surged down the flank and delivered a sharp, low cross into the box.

Lookman timed his run perfectly. Calm and composed, he met the ball first time and guided it past goalkeeper Joan García. It was a simple finish, but one that carried huge importance. The goal made it 2-1 on the night but, more importantly, restored Atlético’s aggregate lead to 3-2.

In a tie that had swung quickly in Barcelona’s favour, Lookman’s strike slowed their momentum and gave Atlético back control.

It was also his sixth goal for the club since arriving from Atalanta in the winter transfer window.

Soccer Ademola Lookman’s place among Nigerian greats and what comes next

With that goal, Lookman joins a very small group of Nigerian players who have scored at this stage of Europe’s biggest competition.

Before him, only three Super Eagles stars had managed it. Victor Osimhen scored for Napoli in 2023, although his side were knocked out by AC Milan. A year earlier, Samuel Chukwueze produced a famous late goal for Villarreal against Bayern Munich, sending his team into the semi-finals.

The earliest of them was Obafemi Martins, who scored for Inter Milan back in 2006 during a quarter-final tie against Villarreal.

Lookman is now the latest name on that list, and he may not be done yet.

If Atlético Madrid go on to secure qualification, they will move into the semi-finals, where the stakes become even higher.

And for Nigerian players, scoring at that stage is even rarer. Only two Nigerians have ever found the net in a Champions League semi-final. Finidi George did so for Ajax in 1995 with a stunning long-range effort against Bayern Munich, while Martins scored again in the last four for Inter in 2003.

That means Lookman now has the chance to become just the third Nigerian to achieve that feat, a remarkable milestone in itself.

His immediate focus, though, will be on finishing the job against Barcelona. But whatever happens next, his goal has already secured him a place in Nigerian and Champions League history.