Atletico Madrid turn to Julian Alvarez after first defeat of season

Atletico Madrid must help Julian Alvarez rediscover his best form after their surprise 3-0 defeat by Athletic Club, says team-mate Marcos Llorente.

The Argentina forward came on as a second-half substitute at San Mames with Atletico already two goals behind, but was unable to alter the contest as Diego Simeone’s side suffered their first defeat of the season in La Liga.

“Julian is a decisive player for us and he knows that very well,” Llorente told ESPN. “He will gradually settle into the team, and the sooner that happens the better, because we urgently need his goals. We have to support him so he can return to being 100% as soon as possible.”

The appearance was Alvarez’s first for Atletico since the summer transfer window closed. He remained at the club after Atletico refused to negotiate a move to Barcelona.

Atletico began the match without an orthodox centre-forward, with Alex Baena and Lee Kang-in given attacking responsibilities. Alvarez was introduced with just over 30 minutes remaining, while Jonathan David, who joined on loan on the final day of the transfer window, stayed on the bench throughout.

Defender David Hancko also praised Alvarez’s contribution after his introduction and said the squad was fully behind him.

“It was clear that he was in good shape and wanted to take responsibility and make a difference,” Hancko said. “A striker will certainly lose some balls against a packed defence, but we saw those attacking flashes when he turned and shot with his left foot.”

He added: “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.”

Athletic Club effectively settled the match in the opening moments of the second half. Nico Williams doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 46th minute before Robert Navarro scored two minutes later. Oihan Sancet completed the victory in the closing stages.

Hancko described the collapse as a brief but decisive lapse in concentration.

“You could say that we lost the game in only 120 seconds,” he said. “It was a very poor start to the second half. We lost concentration for two minutes, and I do not know whether we relaxed after the interval. They were difficult moments, although perhaps it is good that this setback came early in the season.”

Llorente placed the turning point over a slightly longer period but agreed that Atletico had allowed the game to slip away immediately after half-time.

“We threw the game away in the first five minutes of the second half,” he said. “Those five minutes killed our ambition, and after that we could not apply pressure or score a goal that would have unsettled the opposition. This cannot happen again. We played a good first half, and we must correct our mistakes and study why it happened.”

Atletico now face a demanding week. They travel to Anfield to play Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League before visiting Real Sociedad in La Liga.