Spider Closes Transfer Window and Makes Atletico Debut: 31-Minute Substitute Appearance Leads Match in Dribbles + Post-Match Thanks

On September 6 Beijing time, in the fourth round of La Liga, Atletico Madrid lost 0-3 away to Athletic Club. Alvarez came off the bench and delivered a strong performance, marking his first appearance for Atletico since the transfer window closed.

In the 59th minute, Alvarez entered as a substitute, with Atletico already trailing 0-2. The Spider played 31 minutes in the match, attempting seven dribbles and completing four, with both figures the highest in the game. In addition, he recorded one shot and one shot on target, with expected goals of 0.23; he had 30 touches, completed 16 of 16 passes with a 100% pass completion rate, and provided one key pass. He won four of eight ground duels and lost possession seven times.

His performance did not appear to suggest that he and the team were in a serious dispute. More importantly, after the match, Atletico followed its usual practice of thanking the fans who traveled with the team for the away fixture, and Alvarez did not miss the occasion this time. This detail was specifically mentioned because after Atletico's 2-2 draw with Villarreal on August 23, the substitute Alvarez did not take part in this routine and instead returned alone to the players' tunnel. At that time, he was reportedly pushing for a transfer to Barcelona, which caused significant discussion.

It is worth noting that these two matches are also the only games Alvarez has played since the start of the new season, with a total of 55 minutes on the pitch. He has yet to register a goal or an assist. Reports have suggested that Barcelona will make another attempt to pursue him during the winter transfer window.