Diego Simeone has told Ademola Lookman to remain calm and keep working as Atletico Madrid prepare to host Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League tonight.
The Super Eagles attacker has found it difficult to establish himself as a consistent starter following his move to Atletico. Simeone has at times deployed Lookman through the middle, a role less familiar to him, during Julián Alvarez’s own spell out of form.
Although Atletico’s strong recent performances have increased competition for places in the starting line-up, Simeone has stressed that Lookman remains firmly in his plans.
Simeone backs Lookman to recover form
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Looking ahead to the Bayern fixture, Simeone acknowledged that Lookman’s start to the campaign has not matched the player’s expectations, but urged him not to allow that period to damage his belief.
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“I don’t know whether he is being used in a position where he does not want to play,” Simeone said. “He did not begin the season in the way he wanted, but the same happened with Julián last year. He experienced a tough spell and came through it. Griezmann also had a period when he was not scoring, and he came through that as well.”
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The Atletico manager highlighted Lookman’s strength in attacking one-on-one situations, particularly in the final third.
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“Lookman is the player involved in the most duels in the final third, and I have great confidence in him,” Simeone added. “I do not want him to become frustrated. It is part of football and part of life, until the day he starts scoring and creating assists. Hopefully that is the route he follows.”
Atletico carry strong domestic momentum
Atletico welcome Bayern to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano after winning nine of their past 10 fixtures in all competitions, without suffering defeat during that sequence. Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 victory against Levante.
However, their Champions League campaign has been less convincing so far. Atletico have collected four points from their opening three European matches, while Bayern sit one point ahead on five.
