Koke fervently defends Julian Alvarez after striker provides assist for Atletico Madrid in UCL
Alvarez looks to be regaining his top form, if his performance against Liverpool is a sign of things to come.
It wasn't quite the start to their Champions League campaign they envisioned, but Atletico Madrid certainly didn't embarrass themselves in their first match. Playing away against Liverpool at Anfield was always going to be tough.
Despite that, Atleti took an early lead, but couldn't hold on to it. They eventually lost 2-1 , but it was a very even game overall. Perhaps more importantly for Atletico Madrid, their much-maligned striker played well . After a chaotic summer that ultimately ended with him staying at the club he wanted to leave, Julian Alvarez delivered in his first start of the season.
Julian Alvarez gave assist and played very well in first Atleti start of the season
Alvarez provided the assist on Marcos Llorente's opening goal, then came very close to scoring a goal of his own from outside the box . He played all 90 minutes and finished the match with three shorts on target . Despite his strong game, many Atleti fans are still bitter about the situation - and apparently so are some journalists who cover the team.
Team captain Koke , for one, is sick of it. Following the loss to Liverpool, Koke made sure to leave things clear when it comes to the Alvarez situation: It's in the past and the team is moving forward with Alvarez ingrained in the squad .
Alvarez certainly ruffled a lot of feathers with his behavior over the past couple of months. His teammates probably didn't appreciate him wanting to leave, but they're standing beside him with the drama finished for the time being .
After all, the team sorely needs him. When he's in top form, he's a world class player . His game against Liverpool showed he's close to getting back to his very best.
