Last season, first in Atletico Madrid Since he decided to leave Manchester City because Pep Guardiola did not give him the important minutes he thought he deserved, Julian Alvarez Four high voltage matches played against Barcelona. Two were in La Liga and the same number in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, competitions in which Hansi Flick’s side won the tournament. La Araña scored one goal in the 4-2 defeat and another in a 4-4 thriller, in which he also provided an assist.
Julian is accustomed to big events, in which he cements his status as a competitive and aggressive striker, and he will have an extra incentive this Tuesday: he will step up. The reshaped Camp Nou for the first time, Closed for business the previous season. Diego Simeone maintained it last Saturday in a 2-0 win over Oviedo; He came in for the last half hour via Sorloth.
If the scenario requires, what will also be at stake is the promotion of the match of the 15th round of the Spanish League, at exactly five o’clock in the evening. In Argentina (Televisa DirecTv). Atletico Madrid, if they win, will overtake Barcelona for first place. Interest is guaranteed. Cholo Simeone started to feel it in Monday’s press conference: “We have room for improvement in terms of what we were performing. Barcelona have many variables, unbelievable attack. We have to be strong to take the game to where we can hurt them.”
After the harsh 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League. Atletico Madrid responded with seven straight wins (Five for the league). Barcelona is going through an irregularity that has worried Flick, as he demands to restore the offensive pressure and fluidity in the match from last year, in which he won three titles and played against Inter in a stunning Champions League semi-final.
Lamine Yamal, due to pubic pain, appears intermittently. Rafinha, indispensable in attack, has only just made his comeback after injury. and robert lewandowski, He is 37 years old, in his final season, and his contract will expire in June 2026. Aside from the fact that he does not forget to score goals – eight in 11 league matches and none in four Champions League matches – the Pole is no longer undisputed. He sat on the bench in more than one match, and reports indicate that his future will be in another club, starting next July. At the present time there are no negotiations to renew the association.
If it was a question of finding a replacement for Lewandowski, President Joan Laporta’s dream goes through the spider. The coach ended turning his attention to the Argentine in September, after the two goals he scored in a 5-2 win over Real Madrid. And they are that This is not easy to determine due to more than one factor.. Firstly, Atletico Madrid went looking for Calcin from Cordoba to turn him into their flagship player for a long time, a player who would take over the footballing legacy of Antoine Griezmann.
Simeone explained a short while ago: “He is our best player, one of the best strikers in the world. We have him, we have to take care of him and I hope he continues to give us everything he has so far, which is a lot.” This season, between the league and the Champions League, Alvarez has scored 10 goals and four assists in 18 matches.
The world champion has a contract until 2030 with a termination clause 500 million euros. Matteo Alemany, He is considered the new sporting director of professional football at Atletico, a role he also fulfilled at Barcelona Non-negotiable To Alvarez, he is already planning to improve the contract. For Barcelona to acquire the Spider would be a sporting and political defeat, but on the other side there is Laporta, ambitious and always creative in negotiating, far from Barcelona’s economic difficulties, who counts every euro to comply with Financial Fair Play.
Next year, there are elections in Barcelona and Laporta and Jullien could play a tempting card for the partners. The story is not complete if we do not know the intention of Alvarez, who wants to be a vital part of football projects. With this argument, Simeone and his teammates from the Argentine team convinced him to accept Atletico’s proposal, when… Paris Saint-Germain He was offered 10 million euros a year.
Publicly, Alvarez, who has quickly gained the affection and appreciation of the Colchoneros fans, has been linked to Atletico, apart from rumors of some discomfort that Cholo’s football offer is not favored or fully exploited on his terms. Jullien was responsible for denying these reports, but only if Atletico strengthened in the recent transfer market with three players who could provide him and complement him: Alex Baena, Thiago Almada and Nico Gonzalez. It is also possible that Julian once imagined how he would fit into Barcelona’s attacking style, surrounded by world-class personnel.
This Tuesday, the former River arrives for the first time at the Camp Nou to help Atletico become a leader, perhaps with a performance that will end up turning him into the target of Barcelona’s desire next year.