Atlético Madrid produced a scintillating display in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie, dismantling Barcelona 4-0 at the Metropolitano Stadium on Thursday night. 

The breakthrough came as early as the sixth minute when Eric García inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing the hosts an immediate advantage.

Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th minute, before Ademola Lookman added a third on 33 minutes.

Julián Álvarez, assisted by Lookman, then rounded off a dominant firsthalf performance by finding the net just before the interval, sealing an emphatic victory for Atlético.

The Nigeria international has expressed his delight after scoring his first home goal for Atlético Madrid, describing the moment as special .

Asked what went through his mind after finding the net at the Metropolitano, Lookman could not hide his excitement and also paid tribute to the fans.

“I’m very, very happy. Of course, it’s nice to score, but I think the performance of the team was top tonight. In both boxes we were clinical, and we showed togetherness today that was impeccable,” Lookman told Sporty TV.

"We got that energy from our fans tonight, they were amazing, so we are glad."

When asked whether he had envisaged scoring against Barcelona, Lookman emphasised that finding the net is always the objective for any forward.

"You always want to score as an attacker, always looking to get into dangerous positions, so I just try to be there at the right moment at the right time."

Reflecting on manager Diego Simeone's pre-match message ahead of the clash with Barcelona, Lookman explained that the Atletico Madrid players were aware that they had to rise to the occasion. 

"The expectation of us was clear. We knew what we had to do today because the stakes are very high. Today was a match for us to go out there and show what we are all about  and we did. It was a great performance."

Despite the commanding win, Lookman stressed the importance of maintaining focus ahead of the return leg.

"Of course, it’s a big victory. But we have a few more games in between before we play them away, so we must keep the same mindset and the same focus in those matches, which will take us to the other semi final. We are looking forward to the days ahead."

He also spoke glowingly about sharing the pitch with Atletico’s star-studded squad, including Julián Álvarez.

"They are top, top players with amazing ability and amazing talent. It is very nice to play with these type of players, to work with them and to have the same goal to win. That’s very important."

Lookman, who joined Atletico Madrid from Atalanta during the winter transfer window, has already contributed to four goals, scoring twice and providing two assists, in his first three appearances for the club.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel