Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid: Julian Alvarez Included for Champions League Clash
Julian Alvarez will be at Anfield on Wednesday night, and that matters. Whatever noise surrounds him in Madrid, Atletico are a better side when he is available, especially in the Champions League.
The Argentina forward has become a deeply unpopular figure with sections of Atletico Madrid support after trying to force a move to Barcelona during the summer window. The club refused to sell, the player stayed, and the fallout has been predictable. He was booed by his own fans after coming on against Villarreal, left out for the trip to Sevilla, then used from the bench again in the weekend defeat to Athletic Bilbao.
Now he is back in the squad for Liverpool.
Atletico confirmed their travelling party ahead of the Champions League meeting at Anfield, and Alvarez is in it. Diego Simeone has fewer attacking options than he would like, with Alexander Sorloth injured and Arnau Ortiz suspended, so the decision was hardly complicated. Even so, inclusion and involvement are not always the same thing. Whether Alvarez starts or appears later could shape the game.
Our squad traveling to Liverpool 💪 pic.twitter.com/v42oagpiL1
Julian Alvarez gives Atletico Madrid a real edge
This is where sentiment stops and football begins. Atletico may have a fan issue to manage, but from a sporting perspective Alvarez is too useful to ignore. He has scored 25 goals in 42 Champions League matches, and that is elite-level output by any standard. Ten of those came during Atletico’s run to the semi-finals last season, which tells you exactly how trusted he has been in this competition.
Against Liverpool, he already has history. Alvarez has scored twice in five previous meetings and has only ended on the winning side once, in Manchester City’s 4-1 victory in April 2023. Those numbers are mixed, but they confirm one thing, he can hurt Liverpool if given room.
Liverpool defence faces a serious test at Anfield
That leaves Liverpool with a straightforward task in theory and a difficult one in practice. Atletico Madrid are missing forwards, but Alvarez raises the level of their attack immediately. He also has added motivation after missing the 3-2 defeat at Anfield last September through injury.
If Simeone throws him in from the start, Liverpool’s back line will need to be alert, compact and disciplined. Alvarez is not arriving at Anfield in ideal personal circumstances, but Champions League football has a habit of cutting through drama. For Liverpool, the concern is simple. Form, politics and crowd reaction matter less than quality, and Alvarez has plenty of it.
