Atlético de Madrid had a forgettable debut in LaLiga, with Julián Álvarez as the only positive note for Diego Simeone's team. The Argentine scored his team's first official goal in 2025/26 with a superb free kick in the 37th minute. Although the 'colchoneros' eventually fell to Espanyol (2-1), the Argentine completed a remarkable match.
Julián took the ball at the edge of the area and shot with his right foot over the wall, embedding the ball in the corner. Marko Dmitrovic had gone five years without conceding direct free kick goals in LaLiga, but could do nothing against the Calchín native's strike. The '19' already has 18 goals in 38 appearances in the tournament with the 'rojiblancos'.
Julián Álvarez's Frustration After the Defeat Against Espanyol
In the 82 minutes he was on the field, 'La Araña' was the player with the most shots on goal (5), one of them hitting the post. In addition, he completed 36 of 42 passes (86%), with a pair of dribbles and the same number of duels won, along with three balls recovered. Despite his good match, 'Aleti' could not sustain the advantage in Cornellà.
A match that portrayed the shortcomings of the previous season's game for the 'rojiblancos'. The club has spent 175 million on nine reinforcements this summer, but the team is still far from the level needed to aspire to win titles in 2026. In that sense, Julián sees his departure from the Metropolitano increasingly close to resume the winning path in his career.
After the match, Álvarez did not hide his frustration with the defeat. The striker went to the bench with a displeased gesture, shaking his head several times in a sign of disgust after Espanyol's second goal, which fell just a couple of minutes after he left the field.
"It wasn't the start we wanted, but there are days that go beyond the result. Happy Children's Day," Julián wrote on his Instagram account. In his country, Sunday was Children's Day and the player dedicated his goal to his wife, who is currently pregnant.
Barça Convinced: Julián Álvarez Would Be the Ideal Replacement for Lewandowski
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona keeps the '19' in its sights as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski in 2026. The negotiation with Atlético will not be easy, but if the team completes another year without titles, it will be much easier to convince 'La Araña' to change scenery.
The 'rojiblancos' paid 75 million euros for the 25-year-old player, setting his release clause at 500 'kilos'. In that sense, it is unlikely that 'Aleti' will let him leave for less than €100M, a figure that is currently prohibitive for Barça.
Due to 'Fair Play' problems and the validity of 'Lewy's' contract, the 'culés' ruled out going for another striker within this year. In 2026, with the departure of the experienced footballer, the signing of a '9' will be an absolute priority in the offices of the Spotify Camp Nou.
Joan Laporta has always dreamed of the possibility of signing Erling Haaland. However, the Norwegian's renewal with City until 2034, along with his high salary, make him an almost impossible player to acquire. Julián Álvarez, for now, would be the first option, although Harry Kane has also recently been mentioned.
The Englishman could leave Bayern Munich at the age of 33 for a figure close to €50-60M and would be an interesting bet, repeating the strategy used with Lewandowski in 2022. In any case, there is still plenty of time to evaluate which would be the best alternative in sports and financial terms to replace the Pole.
| MP | G | A | GS | YC | PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 30 | 8 | 0.58 | 6 | 4.049 |
- MP: matches played
- G: goals
- A: assists
- GS: goal average
- YC: yellow cards
- PM: minutes played