Atlético Madrid Faces Pressure for Julián Álvarez to Deliver Goals
Atlético Madrid walked into San Mamés unbeaten and walked out exposed. A 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao not only snapped their start-of-season momentum, it sharpened the spotlight on one man: Julián Álvarez.
The Argentine finally returned to the pitch after a turbulent summer in which Atlético blocked his move to Barcelona and insisted he stay. He came on in the second half with his team already two goals down. He couldn’t rescue them. Now his teammates are making it clear: they need him at his ruthless best, and quickly.
“We desperately need his goals”
Marcos Llorente didn’t bother hiding the urgency.
“Julián is a decisive player for us, and he knows that well,” he told ESPN after the defeat. “He will gradually gel with the team, and the sooner the better because we desperately need his goals, and we must support him so he returns to his 100% level as soon as possible.”
The message was as much a plea as it was praise. Atlético started the game without a recognised striker, with the coach opting for Álex Baena and Kang-in Lee in the advanced roles. It was a bold choice, and it backfired.
By the time Álvarez was introduced, with just over half an hour left, the damage was already severe. Jonathan David, signed on loan on the final day of the mercato, never left the bench.
Two minutes of chaos
The match flipped in the blink of an eye.
Atlético had survived the first half and gone into the break still in the contest. Then came the collapse. Nico Williams struck in the 46th minute, Robert Navarro in the 48th. Two minutes that shredded the game plan and any sense of control.
Oihan Sancet added a third late on to deepen the wound.
“You could say we lost the match in just 120 seconds,” defender Dávid Hancko admitted. “It was a very bad start to the second half, we lost concentration for two minutes and I don't know if we relaxed after the break. They were difficult moments, and perhaps it's good that this stumble happened early at the start of the season.”
Llorente saw it the same way, but went harder on the self-criticism.
“We threw the match away in the first five minutes of the second half,” he said. “Those five minutes killed our ambition and afterwards we couldn't impose pressure or score a goal to unsettle the opponent. This should not happen again because we produced a good first half, and we must correct the mistakes and study the reasons for what happened.”
Álvarez under the microscope
Behind the collective failure lies the individual storyline that will follow Atlético in the coming weeks: Álvarez’s role and responsibility.
This was his first appearance since the transfer window closed, his first steps after the club refused to even negotiate with Barcelona. He is staying. Now he has to deliver.
Hancko, for one, liked what he saw in flashes.
“It was clear that he was in good shape and wanted to take responsibility and make a difference,” the defender said. “Of course, a striker loses some balls against defensive blocks, but we saw those attacking flashes when he turned and shot with his left foot.”
Then came the line that will echo around the dressing room.
“He makes a difference for us, and I am very happy that he stayed. The whole team supports him and stands behind him, we need him and I think he needs us too.”
The trust is there. The expectation is louder.
Brutal week ahead
There is no soft landing after a defeat like this.
Atlético now head to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Champions League, one of the most unforgiving stages in Europe, before travelling to Real Sociedad in La Liga. Two hostile trips, two tests of character, and little room for another blackout like the one in Bilbao.
They need defensive focus. They need collective steel. Above all, they need goals.
That’s where Julián Álvarez comes in. The club chose to keep him. His teammates are openly calling for his spark. The season is still young, but the question is already sharp: how long can Atlético afford to wait for their “decisive” forward to start deciding games again?
