Atlético Coach Defends Misfiring Ademola Lookman, Says It’s a Phase
*Warns that Red Devils sluggish EPL form not reason to be taken for granted Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report Ahead of tonight’s UEFA Champions League league phase clash between Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid's head coach, Diego Simeone, has defended his misfiring Nigerian international player Ademola Lookman ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United. Simeone emphasized that Lookman is going through a phase of poor performance, similar to a dip in a player's level, which is common and not unusual.
He explained that while Lookman may not be performing at his best, he continues to work hard to improve, showing his potential as a dribbler. Simeone urged Lookman to keep pushing forward, maintaining his dribbling skills and not conceding the ball easily. He also praised fellow Nigerian player Álex Baena, who has demonstrated a world-class performance despite the challenges of an injury-marred season.
Simeone expressed his intention to manage the best moments of each player for the good of the team. Regarding the upcoming match against Manchester United, Simeone acknowledged the difficulties of the competition and the importance of picking up points, whether at home or away, to remain in the Champions League. He acknowledged that the Red Devils are a strong side but believes Atlético can cause problems for them in the match.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
