Africans Overseas: Lookman Strikes Again for Atletico Madrid

England

Alex Iwobi showcased his talent as Fulham claimed a well-deserved 3-1 victory against Sunderland.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring with a header from a corner taken by the Nigerian international, later converting a penalty earned by Calvin Bassey following a VAR review.

The Black Cats momentarily threatened to equalize when Enzo Le Fee scored a penalty after a foul by Ryan Sessegnon.

Nonetheless, the Cottagers quickly regained dominance when Harry Wilson orchestrated a fast break that led to Iwobi’s brilliant finish from a narrow angle.

This win elevates Fulham to 10th place, while Sunderland remains in 12th position in the English Premier League.

In a different match, Crystal Palace’s Evan Guessand scored in the 90th minute to hand Wolverhampton Wanderers a painful defeat at Selhurst Park.

The visitors, who are struggling against relegation, displayed a strong performance in the first half but failed to take the lead when Mateus Mane was fouled in the box, with Tolu Arokodare’s weak penalty being saved by Dean Henderson.

Things shifted in the second half when Ladislav Krejci received a red card for two quick yellow cards, leaving Wolves at a disadvantage.

Crystal Palace gradually took control but battled to create clear chances. Just as the match appeared headed for a draw, Tyrick Mitchell delivered a low cross, allowing Guessand to score with a well-timed finish at the near post.

Italy

Evan Ndicka netted a goal as AS Roma solidified their position in the Serie A top four with a convincing 3-0 win over Cremonese.

The home team started on the front foot but struggled to generate significant chances, with Gianluca Mancini hitting the crossbar before halftime.

Following the break, the Giallorossi upped the ante and took the lead when Bryan Cristante scored from a corner delivered by Lorenzo Pellegrini.

With the lead secured, Ndicka extended Roma’s advantage in the 77th minute by scoring from a corner for his first goal in Serie A.

Substitute Niccolo Pisilli added a third goal late in the match. This victory positions Roma level on points with third-placed Napoli, while Cremonese’s winless streak in the league extends to 12 matches.

At the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Ghanaian forward Caleb Ekuban contributed to Genoa’s impressive 3-0 win over Torino.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a confident shot following a strong start from the hosts.

Ekuban doubled the lead five minutes before halftime, skillfully guiding the ball into the net to put Genoa firmly in charge.

Torino’s situation worsened when Emirhan Ilkhan was sent off in stoppage time, leaving them down to ten men.

After the break, Genoa controlled the game and continued to dictate pace, with substitute Junior Messias completing the rout with a composed finish in the 83rd minute.

Spain

Pape Gueye emerged as a hero for Villarreal, securing a 2-1 victory over Valencia in the Derbi de la Comunitat.

The match began contentiously, with Nicolas Pepe denied a penalty and subsequently sustaining an injury. Gueye’s set-piece was the only shot on target within the first 20 minutes.

Valencia initially took the lead as Largie Ramazani converted a penalty after a foul on Umar Sadiq, but Santi Comesana equalized for Villarreal before halftime.

In stoppage time, Gueye calmly converted a left-footed penalty after Ramazani handled the ball, turning the match in Villarreal’s favor.

This win extended Villarreal’s unbeaten streak against Valencia in La Liga to nine home matches and five consecutive league meetings.

Meanwhile, Ademola Lookman scored Atletico Madrid’s third goal as they bounced back with a 4-2 triumph over Espanyol.

An earlier error by Marcos Llorente allowed Alexander Sorloth to equalize for Espanyol, but Llorente later assisted Sorloth for a second goal with a precise cross.

Giuliano Simeone put Atletico in front at the start of the second half, and Lookman’s header from a Matteo Ruggeri corner made the score 3-1 before Sorloth concluded the scoring with his twelfth league goal.

In another match, Cedric Bakambu continued his scoring form as Real Betis earned a critical 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

The experienced striker opened the scoring in the 16th minute, taking advantage of a defensive mishap to slot the ball home with precision.

This marked Bakambu’s third league goal this season and his second consecutive match scoring, indicating a return to his best form.

France

Ignatius Ganago scored from the spot to help Nantes secure a 2-0 victory over Le Havre at the Beaujoire.

The hosts took the lead early when Yanis Zouaoui inadvertently scored an own goal in the third minute.

Ganago successfully converted a penalty in the 34th minute after Youssef El Arabi was fouled by Lucas Gourna Douath.

Goalkeeper Anthony Lopes made a crucial save late in the match to maintain a clean sheet, solidifying Nantes’ important win.

In another encounter, Bamba Dieng played a crucial role for Lorient as they rallied to earn a 3-3 draw against OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera.

Nice took control early, scoring twice in the first half through Tom Louchet with assists from Mohamed-Ali Cho. Lorient responded just before halftime with Pablo Pagis curling a free-kick that hit the post.

After the break, Jonathan Clauss assisted Kail Boudache, restoring Nice’s two-goal advantage, but Dieng converted a penalty after Clauss fouled Noah Cadiou, minimizing the deficit.

In stoppage time, Cadiou scored to level the match, culminating in a thrilling six-goal showdown.