Ratings: Lookman’s stellar debut helps rampant Atlético to Copa semis

Atlético Madrid put on a show in the city of Sevilla, pummeling Real Betis 5-0 to progress to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

With a starting debut handed to new signing Ademola Lookman, Atleti were totally dominant against a pitiful Betis, going three up before half time. Goals from Dávid Hancko, Giuliano Simeone and Lookman himself put the visitors in the driving seat, before Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada added to the fun in the second half.

There were debuts off the bench for Rodrigo Mendoza and Obed Vargas too, in what was nearly the perfect night for Diego Simeone, Mateu Alemany and the whole rojiblanco outfit.

Here are Into the Calderón’s player ratings for this Copa del Rey quarter-final (with a huge “Betis were awful” asterisk).

Player Ratings

Juan Musso: Made an important save from Ezzalzouli Abde to quell any possibility of a Betis comeback early on in the second half. Wasn’t called upon too much apart from that from a shot-stopping point of view, but liked to keep us all on our toes with his shaky moments with the ball at his feet. 6

Marcos Llorente: The jet plane skeptic had an imperious quality about him tonight, collating all of the best parts of his game into a top performance. His early-career guise as a pivot shone through in the way he moved the ball about his area of the pitch, and his defensive robustness as a remade right back was ever-present as well. He was moved into the right interior position that he dominated the year Atleti last won the league, as a result of Pablo Barrios’ injury. 8

Marc Pubill: We’re getting accustomed to a mature, solid performance from Pubill these days. One half played in the middle of defence, and the other half played over on his favoured right side, the youngster is a gem that we all hope stays at this club for many years. 7

Dávid Hancko: Someone in an Atlético Madrid fan group chat I’m in compared the Slovakian to Diego Godín tonight. As well as it being unfair on the legendary Godín to compare such a new player to his greatness, their profiles are very different to each other. Yes, Hancko has the defensive strength that a top-level center back should have, but he also has the ability to find himself with a shooting opportunity in the opposition’s box from open play. I’m unaware of another Atleti player, past or present, who had that weapon in their arsenal. Hancko opened the floodgates tonight with a well-taken header from a Koke corner, but could have added another from the ground too. 9

Matteo Ruggeri: We saw the best of the Italian in the creation of the team’s second goal. The way Ruggeri played off Baena and Lookman reminded us of why the club went after him in the summer in the first place. His partnership with the newly-arrived Nigerian was crucial to Atalanta’s 2024 Europa League winning team, so let’s hope they are able to replicate such success at this one step up. 8

Koke: The commentators on my totally-legal Colombian stream for this match referred to Koke as “el director de la orquesta” on numerous occasions. The way he conducted his team to dance around their Andalucian counterparts really made the comparison apt. The captain constantly offered himself short when the team needed to work their way out from the edge of their own box. Koke also delivered a gorgeous cross from the first corner of the match to assist Hancko’s header. 8

Pablo Barrios: What a lovely football player. I should probably write more about Pablito, but quite frankly, that’s all that needs to be said. Watching him knock the ball around the Betis midfield gave massive “older cousin at younger cousin’s 10th birthday party” vibes. Plus the way he assisted Lookman with a sweeping ball over to the left after busting a lung to progress the ball down the pitch was very impressive. Heartbreaking to watch him pull up with a hamstring injury just minutes after the restart. Hopefully it’s nothing that keeps the boy out for too long. 8

Álex Baena: The arrival of Lookman has given Baena the chance to join Koke and Barrios in an all-Spanish midfield three that completely dominated Betis with touch, movement and all-round class. Our number 10 certainly looks a lot more effective from a more central position on the ball, filtering angled passes through the defence to Lookman out wide, or straight down the middle to Griezmann to run onto. He often popped up in a deeper playmaking position that we haven’t seen as much of as well.

Could Baena be the player who benefits the most from Atleti finally signing a dribbling left winger? 8

Giuliano Simeone: Rounded off a great team move with a simple tap-in for 2-0. Takes his Copa del Rey total to three in the last two seasons. It will be interesting to see how much of the play is taken away from his right-hand side now that another genuine threat is placed on the left, but the more that the opposition turns their attention toward stopping Lookman, the more space Giuliano will have to cause issues of his own. Off on 66 minutes. 7

Antoine Griezmann: It’s been a long time since I remember seeing the Frenchman start as a solo striker for such a big game, and his evolution as a player over the years was clear in how he played the role. Gone are the days of being able to be put through to finish 1v1 with the keeper, instead a more “associative” (as the Spaniards would say) job was necessary tonight. His finish for Atleti’s fourth was so much fun. Playing from start to finish allowed Julián Alvarez to rest in the absence of Alexander Sørloth. 8

Ademola Lookman: Missed two big chances to put Atleti two up, but made up for it with a moment of individual brilliance in the box to put his new team 3-0 up before half time. A constant option down the left side, Lookman was involved almost every time Atlético went forward, offering a threat to cross with his left foot, or cut inside to shoot with his right. Slipped in an assist for Griezmann too.

Although we’re well aware of his brilliance as shown for Atalanta and the Nigeria national team, there’s still an element of rawness about the winger. Once he settles in Madrid, he could become a real problem for LALIGA defences. 9

Substitutes

José María Giménez: Came on completely cold when Barrios suddenly pulled up, and it showed to begin with. The Uruguayan was loose with his early touches but soon sured himself up for the remainder of the second half. 6

Nahuel Molina: I think Molina came on to play right wing, guys. Someone needs to check the touchline of La Cartuja stadium, because I think his boots are still glued to it. 5

Rodrigo Mendoza: Absolutely loved this guy’s energy off the bench. He appeared across the midfield, flowing off Koke and the forwards, showing some silky touches and confident passes. 7

Thiago Almada: Quality player who created his own fortune with a fantastic run forward, a pass slipped through to Griezmann and when his shot was saved by Adrián, Almada was on hand to slot the ball into a half-empty net. 7

Obed Vargas: Nice to see him already in an Atleti shirt when it seemed he might be instantly loaned out. Nothing to report due to how brief his cameo was. n/a

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