Atletico Madrid delivered a ruthless display to book their place in the Copa del Rey semifinals, thrashing Real Betis 5-0 on Thursday night and underlining their growing momentum in domestic competitions.
The emphatic win marked Atletico’s third consecutive appearance in the last four and was headlined by a dream debut from Ademola Lookman.
The Nigerian forward, signed late in the winter transfer window, wasted little time making his mark. Lookman scored Atletico’s third goal on a swift counterattack late in the first half and later turned provider, setting up Antoine Griezmann with a perfectly weighted assist after the break.
His sharp movement and direct running gave Betis constant problems and earned warm praise from coach Diego Simeone.
Atletico were in control from the outset. David Hancko opened the scoring with a crisp finish in the 12th minute, before Giuliano Simeone doubled the lead midway through the half.
Lookman’s strike before the interval effectively ended the contest, allowing the hosts to play with freedom in the second period.
Griezmann added a fourth just after the hour mark, and Thiago Almada completed the rout late on as Betis struggled to contain Atletico’s intensity and depth.
The result keeps Atletico on course for their first Copa del Rey final since lifting the trophy in 2013. With Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad also in the semifinals, Simeone’s side will head into the draw full of confidence and with a new attacking weapon already making an impact.