Atletico banks on Alvarez to deliver

For Atletico Madrid it has been a repetitious and painful tale whenever it has faced city rival Real Madrid in Europe. In a bid to change the script, it signed Julian Alvarez.

The Argentina international has become Atletico's key attacking threat after arriving from Manchester City last summer and will lead the line for it on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League last 16.

Atletico has reached three Champions League finals and lost every time, including against Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016.

Those agonizing defeats, the first in extra-time and the second on penalties, were compounded by Los Blancos wins in the 2015 quarterfinals and 2017 semifinals.

The only other occasion they have met in the competition was in 1959, when after an aggregate semifinal draw the tie went to a play-off.

Real Madrid emerged triumphant and went on to lift a fourth consecutive European Cup.

Its dominance in the competition has held until this day, with Carlo Ancelotti's side the current holder — and a record 15-time winner.

Diego Simeone's team was ousted by Borussia Dortmund in last year's quarterfinals, one of the low points of a miserable campaign.

It responded in the summer by signing Alvarez for 85 million euros ($88 million), hoping the 25-year-old forward would become the cornerstone of its side.

"He has everything a player needs to play for Atletico Madrid, and for many years to come," said Simeone after Alvarez struck twice to help his team beat German champion Bayer Leverkusen in the group phase.

Alvarez has nine goals in his last 13 matches across all competitions, and 21 strikes in 40 games in total.

'Different calibre'

The striker kept his nerve to net an ice-cold Panenka penalty against Real Madrid in a 1-1 La Liga derby draw in February at the Bernabeu.

Alvarez has quickly formed a bond on the pitch with Atletico talisman Antoine Griezmann, meaning Alexander Sorloth and Angel Correa generally have to be content with a place on the bench.

Although Alvarez and Griezmann regularly start, Simeone has made no secret of considering Atletico's squad depth its greatest asset this season.

Alvarez came off the bench to send Atletico top of La Liga on Saturday with the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao, although Barcelona moved back clear of the Rojiblancos on Sunday by a point.

"When we learned that it was confirmed, his arrival, it made us very happy, very happy indeed," said Simeone over the weekend.

"(That's) because a different calibre player was coming, like in his day, Luis Suarez.

"They are special players, they have a talent, they have something others don't, like when (David) Villa came, players who can make the difference."

Alvarez is well-rounded, a sharp finisher with great mobility, ability to link the play and high work rate.

"Every move he gets involved in, he improves," said Athletic striker Inaki Williams.

Simeone requires great intensity from his players, with those who don't sweat for the club badge not lasting long at Atletico.

Despite arriving as a World Cup winner with Argentina and a Champions League and double Premier League winner with Man City, Alvarez has shown no airs and graces.

His dedication to what Simeone demands of him makes him already a better fit than the one more expensive player in the club's history — Joao Felix.

The Portuguese striker flopped at the Metropolitano and was sold to Chelsea last summer.

"(Alvarez) is a guy who won everything and he's the one who runs the most, you look at him and admire him," said Atletico defender Jose Gimenez.

"He is an example for all of us, from the youngest to the oldest."

The forward has a point of his own to prove too, after Pep Guardiola left him on the bench during City's 2023 Champions League final win over Inter Milan.

"I didn't get to play in the Champions League final, I didn't play much in the semifinals," Alvarez told Argentine news website Infobae.

"Something inside me told me that I needed a different challenge, to look for something new."

Alvarez has found that with Atletico and aims to give the Rojiblancos a new experience against Real Madrid in Europe too.

AFP