Madrid Derby: Lookman Targets Victory Against Rivals In Sunday Showdown

Ademola Lookman will be aiming to make another impact against Real Madrid when Atletico Madrid host their city rivals in the first Madrid derby of the 2026/27 La Liga season at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday.

The Nigerian forward has already scored against Real Madrid in an Atletico shirt, having found the net twice in three previous meetings with the Spanish giants, although all three matches ended in defeat for his team.

Lookman first faced Real Madrid in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup, when Atalanta suffered a 2-0 defeat to Carlo Ancelotti’s side in Warsaw. The Nigerian played the full 90 minutes as Real Madrid lifted the trophy.

Four months later, Lookman delivered a more influential display when Real Madrid visited Bergamo for a Champions League encounter.

Although Atalanta eventually lost 3-2, Lookman scored for the Italian side and was named UEFA’s Player of The Match following an impressive performance against the European champions.

His next meeting with Real Madrid came after his transfer to Atletico Madrid, when he featured in his first Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabeu in March.

Lookman opened the scoring for Atletico before Real Madrid rallied to secure a 3-2 victory, giving the Nigerian his second goal in three appearances against the Spanish giants.

That defeat will serve as additional motivation for Atletico, who will be looking to respond after losing their most recent meeting with Real Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side, however, thrashed their city rivals 5-2 at the Metropolitano last season.

Lookman has also become increasingly important to Simeone because of his ability to operate in different attacking positions.

The 28-year-old has featured on the left wing, through the middle and as a supporting striker this season, scoring once in seven appearances.

The Nigerian believes his ability to adapt to different positions will help him develop into a more complete player.

He also expects a difficult contest against a Real Madrid side that remains close to Barcelona despite dropping points earlier in the campaign.

“They are a first-class team. We know that facing such a good team will definitely be a tough fight,” he told Sporty TV.

“But we are ready for the challenge. Our team also has many excellent players, so we are looking forward to this challenge.”

Atletico could face late fitness decisions over Julian Alvarez, Pablo Barrios and Alexander Sorloth, with all three players dealing with muscular problems.

Alvarez has missed Atletico’s last two matches, making his availability one of the key issues for Simeone ahead of the derby.

The hosts enter Sunday’s fixture fourth in La Liga with 13 points from six matches, having recorded four wins, one draw and one defeat.

Atletico have also bounced back strongly from a difficult start to September, when they suffered defeats to Athletic Bilbao and Liverpool.

They subsequently defeated Real Sociedad 3-0 before recording another emphatic victory in their most recent outing, a 4-0 win over Osasuna.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, occupy second position with 15 points, three behind leaders Barcelona.

Jose Mourinho’s side head into the derby after a 3-2 victory over Elche. That result followed their 1-0 defeat to Real Betis earlier in September and wins against Inter Milan and Rayo Vallecano.

With just two points separating the Madrid rivals in the table, Sunday’s clash carries added significance at the Metropolitano.

For Lookman, the derby presents another opportunity to add to his scoring record against Real Madrid and make a decisive contribution in one of the biggest fixtures on the Spanish football calendar.

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