Former FC Barcelona and France defender Samuel Umtiti has encouraged Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman to remain focused and maintain his impressive form following a standout display for Atletico Madrid.
Umtiti was present at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano as Atletico Madrid cruised to a 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash.
Lookman was among the goalscorers in a commanding performance that also saw Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann find the back of the net.
The Nigerian international stole the spotlight after netting his first goals in front of Atletico’s home supporters.
Following the encounter, Griezmann handed Lookman’s jersey to Umtiti, who was at the stadium in his role as a pundit for DAZN.
The 2018 World Cup winner commended Lookman’s sharp decision-making and urged him to continue working hard.
“Keep going like this, you have to keep going,” Umtiti advised.
He also highlighted the intelligence and technical quality of players like Griezmann and Alvarez, noting that Lookman must continue building strong chemistry with his teammates to sustain his momentum.
Responding to the praise, Lookman applauded the awareness within Diego Simeone’s squad, explaining that their understanding of each other’s movement makes things easier on the pitch.
He said: “I think all the players are really good at that, so they kind of know where everyone else is on the field,” praising the awareness of the Atleti players.
“So, it’s mostly about knowing what to do and when to do it, which is nice to play with them.”
The 2024 CAF Player of the Year has made a flying start under Diego Simeone, registering two goals and two assists in his first three appearances across all competitions.
