Ademola Lookman delivered another decisive performance for Atlético Madrid, coming off the bench to register an assist in a commanding 4-1 win over Club Brugge that sealed a 7-4 aggregate triumph in their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off.

With the tie still finely balanced at 2-1 on the night and Brugge threatening a late surge, Diego Simeone turned to Lookman in the 70th minute. The Nigerian international replaced Alex Baena and immediately injected pace and direct running into Atlético’s attack, stretching a tiring Belgian defence.

His impact was swift. Six minutes after entering the pitch, Lookman drifted into space on the left, exchanged passes with Antoine Griezmann and then slid a precise ball into the path of Alexander Sørloth. The Norwegian striker finished clinically into the right corner, restoring Atlético’s two-goal cushion and effectively ending Brugge’s hopes of a comeback.

Sørloth went on to complete his hat-trick from a late corner, crowning a ruthless display from the Spanish side and extending their unbeaten run in regulation time in Champions League knockout matches to 20 games. Johnny Cardoso had earlier struck from the edge of the area to put Atlético back in front after Joel Ordóñez briefly levelled on the night for Brugge.

Lookman’s assist continued a remarkable start to his Atlético career following his January move from Atalanta. Having scored in the first leg in Belgium, the 28-year-old now has seven goal contributions in seven appearances across all competitions, matching the best start by any Atlético player since the 2013–2014 campaign.

Club Brugge were forced to cope without suspended midfielder Raphael Onyedika, whose booking in the first leg ruled him out of the return fixture. The Nigerian had been instrumental in Brugge’s spirited fightback in Belgium, scoring and assisting, and his absence was evident as the visitors struggled to control transitions in Madrid.

Lookman almost added a goal to his assist late on, seeing a low drive from the edge of the box blocked, but by then Atlético were firmly in control and managing the closing stages with authority. The result reinforced their formidable home record in Europe and underlined Simeone’s growing array of attacking options, with Lookman rapidly emerging as a key figure in their continental push.