Ademola Lookman<\/a> 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n The former Atalanta forward struck for Atl\u00e9tico Madrid<\/a> in their high-stakes second-leg clash against Barcelona<\/a>, delivering a goal that changed the direction of the tie.<\/p>\n Lookman\u2019s moment came in the 31st minute at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, just as the match was beginning to slip away from Atl\u00e9tico.<\/p>\n Barcelona had started brightly, scoring twice early through Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres to wipe out Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s first-leg advantage.<\/p>\n With the aggregate score suddenly level, tension grew inside the stadium. But Lookman stepped up at exactly the right time.<\/p>\n The move began shortly after a brief stoppage caused by a collision involving Ferm\u00edn L\u00f3pez and Atl\u00e9tico goalkeeper Juan Musso. Once play resumed, Atl\u00e9tico broke forward quickly. Marcos Llorente surged down the flank and delivered a sharp, low cross into the box.<\/p>\n Lookman timed his run perfectly. Calm and composed, he met the ball first time and guided it past goalkeeper Joan Garc\u00eda. It was a simple finish, but one that carried huge importance. The goal made it 2-1 on the night but, more importantly, restored Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s aggregate lead to 3-2.<\/p>\n In a tie that had swung quickly in Barcelona\u2019s favour, Lookman\u2019s strike slowed their momentum and gave Atl\u00e9tico back control.<\/p>\n It was also his sixth goal for the club since arriving from Atalanta in the winter transfer window.<\/p>\n With that goal, Lookman joins a very small group of Nigerian players who have scored at this stage of Europe\u2019s biggest competition.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The earliest of them was Obafemi Martins, who scored for Inter Milan back in 2006 during a quarter-final tie against Villarreal.<\/p>\n Lookman is now the latest name on that list, and he may not be done yet.<\/p>\n If Atl\u00e9tico Madrid go on to secure qualification, they will move into the semi-finals, where the stakes become even higher.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n That means Lookman now has the chance to become just the third Nigerian to achieve that feat, a remarkable milestone in itself.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/RJcnz0Q1rfqi-G46aK761oOYv_s=\/5086x3391\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2026%2F02%2Fimago1072821994.jpg\")
Soccer Ademola Lookman’s place among Nigerian greats and what comes next<\/h2>\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/NHSCpTJpdhtn1lt8CYkBnBdtDkE=\/1638x2048\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2026%2F02%2FHA_nb5hWoAAvtjt.jpeg\")