Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone says managing playing time and effort influenced his substitutions during Saturday’s 1–0 victory over Espanyol, after Ademola Lookman was withdrawn at half-time.

Lookman started the La Liga match days after scoring in Atlético’s 2–0 Champions League win over Manchester United, but was replaced by Julián Álvarez at the interval.

Simeone explained, “We were looking to manage the minutes, the effort; we needed legs.”

The Nigerian forward was unable to complete the match as Simeone adjusted his side against a stubborn Espanyol defence. Atlético eventually secured the three points with a late goal.

Simeone’s comments highlighted the need to manage players’ minutes and energy levels as Atlético balanced their domestic campaign with European commitments. Lookman will hope to build on his recent Champions League form in the coming fixtures.