Julián Álvarez: Atlético's Secret Weapon
Atlético de Madrid has found in Julián Álvarez not only an elite goalscorer but also the solution to a deficiency they had been dragging for years: a free-kick specialist. The investment in ‘La Araña’ has proven to be a complete success, as evidenced by his 29 goals, 17 of them in LaLiga, which have dispelled any doubts.
Beyond his goalscoring ability, the Argentinian brings leadership and charisma to the team. Álvarez has managed to score two free-kick goals this season, one in the Champions League against Sparta Prague and another against Betis in La Liga.
These two successes are even more remarkable considering that, in the last five years, only two direct free-kick goals had been scored: one by Luis Suárez in the 20-21 season and another by Griezmann in the current campaign.
Griezmann was a benchmark in this facet during his first stage at the club, being the author of eight of the nine free-kick goals scored between 2012 and 2019. However, upon his return to the Metropolitano, he has not been able to maintain that effectiveness. The arrival of Julián Álvarez comes to fill this deficiency, offering Atlético a new offensive weapon and restoring the fans’ enthusiasm with his precise shots.
