In the match against Barcelona, ​​Julián Alvarez could not provide the expected performance of Atletico Madrid fans. Although he played a role in the formation of his team’s goal and tried to change the result until the last moment, his performance was affected by the failure to use scoring opportunities.
The Spanish newspaper “Sport” reported that Alvarez’s two missed chances have become the most important point of criticism for Atletico fans.
The first chance was made in the first half; Where the Argentinian striker was in a one-on-one situation with Juan Garcia, but the Barcelona goalkeeper prevented him from scoring with an excellent reaction and blocked the ball. The second opportunity was also obtained in the final minutes of the match. Alvarez tried to put the ball over the goalkeeper’s head, but his shot went wide.
This match was very important for Alvarez. He sought to regain his confidence and prove his abilities to strengthen his position with Atlético fans; Especially after the rumors related to the cancellation of his transfer to Barcelona, ​​which created tensions around him.
However, the Argentinian striker’s performance brought a wave of criticism. “He still hasn’t been able to prove that he’s worth 100 or 150 million euros,” Spanish journalist Manu Carnio said of him on the Cadena Ser radio show. Carnio continued to emphasize: “Atletico needs a striker who can decide the fate of the matches.” He believes that Alvarez needs to improve his level of play and has yet to prove his ability to make an impact in major tournaments.
Former soccer player Kiko Narvas also questioned Alvarez’s missed opportunities, saying, “These two situations were very clear; “To the point where there was no reason to shout.”
Most of the criticism is related to Alvarez’s failure to take advantage of scoring opportunities, weakness in final shots, and of course the heavy expectations that have been made of him after his transfer to Atlético Madrid. Ladislao Monino, a journalist of El PaÃs newspaper, also stated in this regard: “Given the technical abilities of Julián Alvarez, it is not natural that he misses two chances as clearly as he did against Barcelona.”
Radio Marca expert Nacho Valencia also criticized the Argentinian forward. He said during the live program of this network: “At the end of the race, you have the feeling that you have thrown away your money.”
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