On his 29th birthday, Ademola Lookman faces VfB Stuttgart with Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League. Diego Simeone expects the Nigerian forward to rediscover his sharpness and dribbling.
Ademola Lookman turns 29 on Tuesday 20 October 2026, the day Atlético de Madrid travel to the MHPArena to face VfB Stuttgart at 21:00 CEST on Matchday 3 of the Champions League. The Nigerian international forward joined Atlético from Atalanta in early 2026.
Diego Simeone, Atlético’s head coach, has stressed one point in recent days: his forward is working day in, day out to get back to his peak level of sharpness and dribbling, according to Punch Newspapers. The manager wants to see him in that mould again.
A goal to remind everyone what he can do
The group table adds a little pressure. Stuttgart have six points from two wins, 3-1 against Viking and 3-0 against Slovan Bratislava. Atlético have picked up only three points, with an opening 2-1 defeat at Liverpool followed by a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Lookman has already scored in the Champions League this season: on Matchday 2 against Manchester United, he scored eight minutes after coming on. Across all competitions, he has two goal involvements in 11 matches for the Colchoneros.
Against Sebastian Hoeneß’s VfB Stuttgart, Atlético, with only three points after two matchdays, need a response.
The fixture pile-up
This trip is no isolated bubble. Four days later, on Saturday 24 October 2026, Atlético host Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga. Simeone will have to juggle this run of matches in managing his squad, and Lookman remains an option capable of coming off the bench and making an impact, as he did against Manchester United.
For the forward, the challenge is simple: turn a birthday into a successful European night and give substance to his coach’s words about his return to form. Lookman says Simeone has asked him to bring energy and help the team both defensively and offensively, according to ThisDayLive.