On Sunday, Atlético Madrid fans celebrated victory in the Derbi Madrileño – and Julian Alvarez was very much part of the celebrations. The Argentine, who had fallen out of favour for a time, appears to have redeemed himself.
Julian Alvarez had already hinted before the Madrid derby that he was on a path to reconciliation with his own fans. On Saturday, Atlético had posted pictures of the stadium and the fans with the message “Tomorrow. Everyone. Together.” Several players liked the post, including Alvarez.
However, when his name was read out in the starting line-up, there were boos once again, just as there had been during his first appearance in front of his home crowd against Villarreal (2–2). Since then, Atlético had either been playing away or the Argentine had been sidelined through injury. Naturally, though, the crowd at the Metropolitano hadn’t forgotten that Álvarez had wanted to leave the club for Barcelona in the summer.
And so, when he came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, there were boos once more, even though Jonathan David had just scored to make it 2–0 for the Colchoneros. But the mood was about to change: Alvarez’s effort on the pitch was clearly evident; the forward also repeatedly helped out in defence and gradually won back the fans’ hearts. The 26-year-old even nearly scored his first goal of the season; his shot flew past the Real goal by a hair’s breadth. It was a moment for which he received audible applause from the fans for the first time in a long while.
It was just one of several strong attacking moves. Alvarez had already shown his best form in the Champions League match in Liverpool (1–2), setting up Marcos Llorente’s goal. “What’s done is done. But he’s back, he played well at Anfield and will give us a lot – that much is clear,” said Atlético’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, afterwards.
Alvarez stands before the supporters’ stand once more
The derby victory has now eased the return to normality, and manager Diego Simeone welcomed the turnaround with relief. “If you give your all, it’s recognised,” said the Atlético manager. “Julian gave it his all; it was tough for him, and we’ll get him back on track.”
After the draw against Villarreal, the club bosses had sent Álvarez straight to the dressing room for his own protection. This time, he walked out to the supporters’ stand – there were no boos to be heard.
