Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has explained his decision to deploy Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman as a central striker in the club’s 2-0 victory over Malaga.
Lookman started in the No. 9 role as Atletico opened their campaign with a comfortable win, with Simeone forced to reshuffle his attack because of the absence of key forwards.
Julian Alvarez was left out of the matchday squad, while Alexander Sorloth was unavailable through injury, leaving Simeone with limited options in the central attacking position.
Asked whether Lookman’s deployment through the middle could become a regular feature or was simply a short-term solution, Simeone pointed to the need for greater creativity within his attack.
“Creativity. We are trying to find ways to enhance our performance because, at this moment, we lack a forward who can contribute from the start,” Simeone said, as reported by Eldesmarque.
He added that the position remains an important area for Atletico to strengthen, with Alvarez unavailable and Sorloth still recovering.
Lookman’s ability to operate across several attacking positions gives Simeone another tactical option, and his performance through the middle could provide the coach with greater flexibility as Atletico manage their current shortage of forwards.
For the Nigerian international, the new role also presents an opportunity to add another dimension to his game as Atletico begins the new season.
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