Ademola Lookman will be hoping to make history tonight when Atlético Madrid face FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, Soccernet.ng reports.
Atlético go into the second leg with a big advantage after beating Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Lookman was one of the stars of that game. He scored Atlético’s third goal and later set up the fourth as Diego Simeone’s side delivered a dominant performance.
Despite the heavy defeat, Barcelona believe they can still fight back at the Spotify Camp Nou. Teenage forward Lamine Yamal is in excellent form after scoring the first hat-trick of his career against Villarreal at the weekend. Midfielder Pedri has also returned from injury and could make a big difference.
However, Barcelona have not beaten Atlético 5-0 since September 2011, three months before Diego Simeone became Atlético manager. Simeone knows his team only need to avoid a heavy defeat to reach the final.
For Lookman, the match means more than just a place in the final. The Nigerian forward is chasing a special piece of history.
Finidi’s 29-year record within Ademola Lookman’s reach
If Atlético reach the final, Lookman will be on the verge of becoming the first Nigerian in 29 years to play in a Copa del Rey final.
The last time a Nigerian reached the final was in 1997, when Barcelona faced Real Betis. Emmanuel Amuneke was part of the Barcelona squad that included stars such as Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Luis Figo and Hristo Stoichkov. Amuneke did not play in that final but became the first Nigerian to win the trophy.
On the other side that day was Finidi George, who played for Real Betis. Finidi scored in the 82nd minute to give Betis a 2-1 lead. But Barcelona equalised through Juan Antonio Pizzi before Luis Figo scored the winning goal in extra time. Finidi’s strike remains the last goal scored by a Nigerian in a Copa del Rey final.
Now, nearly three decades later, Lookman has the chance to follow in their footsteps. The former Atalanta forward is also just one step away from winning his first trophy in Spain, only weeks after arriving at Atlético.
First, though, Atlético must finish the job against Barcelona. If they do, Lookman will be only one win away from writing his own chapter in Nigerian football history.
