How Did Julian Alvarez's First Half-Year at Atletico Go?

No matter how classy a player is, the first few months at a new club are always a period of adaptation, and they may not showcase their best games. However, I believe Alvarez demonstrated some significant performances and contributed to a good number of goals during his first half-season with Atletico Madrid. Let's go back a bit. Alvarez joined the team on August 12th, after the team's pre-season preparation was completed. But there’s more to consider. Julian had played in the Copa America, where Argentina claimed the trophy. After that, he was also part of his country's Olympic team in Paris. Julian had literally not taken a breather since the previous summer. Considering these facts, he received limited game time in the first few matches, which somewhat restricted his statistics in terms of goals and appearances. Nevertheless, Alvarez quickly started scoring crucial goals for his club. His first notable goal came in the dying moments of the match against Celta Vigo.

In brief, 12 goals and 2 assists in 26 matches. A total of 1,621 minutes, averaging a goal every 135 minutes. Considering the early matches when he was not yet at 100%, these statistics are quite impressive for Julian. He regularly contributes to goals, both by scoring and assisting. His role on the field, especially when Sorloth is present, is not solely to finish chances but rather to create opportunities. His league goals against Celta, Sociedad, and Mallorca directly translated into points for the team as they were the only goals for our side. In the Champions League, a much more familiar tournament for Alvarez compared to La Liga, he has scored 4 goals in 6 matches—a very solid record. In the Copa del Rey, his two goals against Vic were fundamental for progressing further. Besides scoring well, Julian scores crucial goals. I am confident that in the second half of the season, his goal tally will only increase.

Alvarez is a threat to any defense. When you have a star like him on your team, even if he’s playing poorly, he always draws the defenders' attention. That’s why I think Atletico's strength this season is that different players are scoring goals. Alvarez, Griezmann, and Sorloth, as leading scorers, share the spotlight well, taking turns being the man of the match. The roles Alvarez plays vary. In a duo with Griezmann, his role is closer to a central striker, but when Sorloth is also on the field, Alvarez’s role shifts predominantly to the left, where he often cuts inside. In tougher matches, we can even see him as a left midfielder, supporting the defense and being dangerous on counter-attacks. Alvarez is a very versatile player, and his goals are not always typical of a central striker like Sorloth. He sometimes scores from free kicks and long-range shots, making him quite unpredictable for opposing defenses.

Although I am sure we have not yet seen the best of Julian Alvarez, I believe he is performing more than well at the moment. With good statistics so far and already adapted to the team, we will undoubtedly see Alvarez contribute even more to the team with his versatility on the field. At the moment, despite the high transfer fee paid for him, I am more than satisfied with this transfer, and I believe the fans should be too. Julian is undoubtedly becoming a player of great significance for the team, with clinical and varied goals. Whether it's his free-kick against Sparta or his runs into the penalty area, like against Celta, Alvarez is dangerous in more than one role—be it striker or left winger. Alvarez brings the necessary class to the team to compete on par with Real Madrid and Barcelona. And as for Julian himself, the best is yet to come.