Ademola Lookman featured in Atletico Madrid's starting eleven as Diego Simeone's side secured a 2-1 victory away at Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, extending their winning run in LaLiga and moving up to second place in the table.

Lookman made his seventh league start of the season—having scored once in the competition—before being substituted at half-time. His presence was part of a disciplined Atletico performance that ultimately delivered three hard-earned points at Mendizorrotza.

Grimaldo breaks the deadlock

Atletico took the lead in the 33rd minute through a moment of individual brilliance. Jonathan David flicked a clever backheel through the Alaves defence, and Alejandro Grimaldo met the pass to finish clinically and give the visitors the advantage.

Alaves, however, levelled matters in dramatic fashion deep into first-half stoppage time. Robin Le Normand brought down Jonny Otto from a free-kick, and Lucas Boyé stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in the 6th minute of added time, making it 1-1 heading into the break.

Red card changes the game

The turning point arrived just after the hour mark when Alaves defender Angel Pérez was dismissed in the 61st minute. A VAR review confirmed the red card for a reckless lunge on Julian Alvarez, leaving the home side with ten men for the final half-hour.

Atletico pressed with their numerical advantage but found a breakthrough only in the 87th minute. Substitute Alex Baena delivered a cross into the box, and fellow summer arrival Cristian Romero powered a header into the net—his first goal for the club and the decisive strike of the evening.

Table implications

The result takes Atletico Madrid to 19 points from eight LaLiga games, placing them second in the standings. Alaves, meanwhile, remain sixth on 11 points after a defeat that owed much to their second-half indiscipline.