Lookman nicks winner as Atletico bid Griezmann farewell

Ademola Lookman scored the only goal as Atletico Madrid defeated Girona 1-0 yesterday, deepening the visitors’ relegation fears while continuing a remarkable debut campaign that has firmly established the Nigerian forward as one of Diego Simeone’s most important players.

Lookman, who joined Atletico during the January transfer window, has now scored eight goals and contributed three assists in 22 appearances across all competitions-a return that makes him the club’s fourth-highest scorer in his debut campaign.

Sunday’s strike against Girona was the latest chapter in a rapid rise at the Metropolitano that began with a debut goal against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, a strike that also marked the 100th goal of his career.

The assist came from Antoine Griezmann, who made his 500th appearance in Atletico colours in what proved an emotionally charged afternoon at the Metropolitano. The French forward, Atletico’s all-time top scorer and set to join MLS side Orlando City, arrived visibly emotional and delivered a fitting farewell assist before taking his final bow in front of the home faithful.

The result left Girona 18th in the table and staring at relegation heading into the final day of the season.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid produced a focused display to beat Sevilla 1-0, with Vinicius Junior scoring the only goal after being teed up by Kylian Mbappe.

The result came days after Mbappe publicly revealed he had been told by coach Alvaro Arbeloa he was the club’s “fourth forward,” but the French superstar started and played his part in the win. Real Madrid will nonetheless finish the season without a major trophy for the second consecutive year. Sevilla’s safety, meanwhile, had already been confirmed by other results.

The most significant result in the relegation battle came at Mallorca, where Levante earned a vital 2-0 win to climb to 15th and push the islanders into the drop zone in 19th. Carlos Espi broke the deadlock before both sides were reduced to 10 men following an ugly incident involving Johan Mojica and Roger Brugue. Kervin Arriaga headed home a second from a corner to seal the points and hand Levante a lifeline.

Mallorca face already-relegated Oviedo on the final day but will need a win and favourable results elsewhere to survive.

Elche, 17th , kept their survival hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Getafe and will meet Girona in a potentially decisive final-day clash — a direct battle between two sides desperate to avoid the drop.

Espanyol secured their top-flight status by beating Osasuna 2-1, ending an astonishing 18-match winless run with back-to-back victories, while Alaves also confirmed their survival with a 1-0 win over already-relegated Oviedo.

Valencia produced a thrilling 4-3 victory over Real Sociedad to rise to ninth, Celta Vigo guaranteed European football next season with a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao, and Rayo Vallecano fans gave veteran midfielder Oscar Trejo a fond farewell in his final home appearance as they beat third-place Villarreal 2-0.

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