Ademola Lookman hailed Atlético Madrid’s determination after his second-half arrival helped secure a 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw away to VfB Stuttgart.

The Nigerian attacker discussed a demanding evening in his post-match comments, with Atlético forced to see out the final 30 minutes a man down.

“We continued to press forward, but unfortunately we were reduced to 10 players,” Lookman said. “We defended together, showed our spirit, stayed united and came away with a point on the road.”

Lookman, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Tuesday, was introduced at the interval after Jamie Leweling had put Stuttgart ahead before the break. He created Julián Álvarez’s leveller two minutes into the second half, in the 47th minute, and expressed complete faith in the Argentine forward’s ability in front of goal.

“We wanted to find him in the penalty area because he is so dangerous there. I knew he would score,” he said.

The Atlético player also paid tribute to the travelling fans, whose backing remained relentless after Morten Hjulmand was sent off in the 64th minute.

“We could hear them encouraging us throughout the entire match,” Lookman said. “After around the 65th minute, they carried on and became even louder. Thank you to them for giving us that extra energy.”

Lookman’s contribution was not limited to the attacking end, as he made an important defensive block to deny Angelo Stiller in the 80th minute while Stuttgart searched for a late winner.