Simeone praises Alvarez's diligence, yet urges patience following his initial Atletico goal scoring.
Atletico Madrid's New Signing Julian Alvarez Shines in Champions League Debut
Atletico Madrid's latest signing, Julian Alvarez, made his Champions League debut for the Spanish club in their opening match against Leipzig on Thursday. The 22-year-old Argentine forward, who joined Atletico on a six-year deal reportedly worth up to €95million (£81.8million) from Manchester City, scored his first goal for the team in a 3-0 victory against Valencia before the Champions League fixture.
Diego Simeone, Atletico's manager, is confident about Alvarez's potential and views him as a key attacking player. Simeone appreciates Alvarez’s versatility and goal-scoring potential but is cautious not to rely solely on him, looking to bolster the attack further with new signings like Giacomo Raspadori to reduce the burden on Alvarez.
Simeone described Alvarez as a "noble, hard-working boy," and expressed the need for patience with the young forward as he settles into life in the Spanish capital. Despite the significant investment in Alvarez, Simeone's tactical approach—often defensively cautious—has sometimes limited the team's ambition and ability to fully capitalize on Alvarez's offensive talents. Simeone's challenge is to balance this attacking firepower with his usual defensive discipline.
Simeone hopes the players and Atleti supporters will respond positively to the occasion of the Champions League match against Leipzig, expecting a high-energy atmosphere at the Metropolitano Stadium. Simeone continues to demand high performance from Alvarez, believing in his potential for scoring many goals throughout the campaign. The quote "We are always going to demand what he can give us because we know and believe in his potential. Hopefully, him scoring his first goal the other day will be the first of many to come." is attributed to Simeone referring to Alvarez.
In addition to Alvarez, Simeone sees the Argentine as a vital and proven forward for Atletico and is focused on adapting the team’s offensive structure to unleash his and other attackers’ potential, while also aiming for a more ambitious tactical approach to compete for titles. While specific quotes from Simeone about Alvarez’s exact scoring targets are not detailed, Alvarez’s history of 12 goals over two seasons and being considered the "top scorer" option suggest he is entrusted with a major goal-scoring role in Simeone’s plans, with the club actively seeking to strengthen the attack around him to maximize output.
Alvarez, who took an extended break before joining Atletico after starring in Argentina's Copa America triumph in July, made his fifth appearance for Atletico Madrid since completing his move. Simeone is confident that Alvarez will continue to score many goals throughout the campaign, as he settles into his new role and the team adapts to his offensive talents.
Julian Alvarez, after scoring his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a domestic league match before his Champions League debut, is expected to make significant contributions to the team's goal-scoring tally this season. Simeone, the manager, intends to refine Atletico's offensive structure to optimally utilize Alvarez's talents and maximize the team's goal output in European-leagues like the Champions League and Laliga.
