Simeone delighted with Alvarez goal
Diego Simeone was delighted for Julian Alvarez after the Atletico Madrid striker broke his goalscoring duck for the season.
Alvarez, who wanted to leave Atleti in the summer transfer window, netted his first goal of the campaign in a 1-1 Champions League draw with Stuttgart.
Jamie Leweling opened the scoring at MHPArena, but Alvarez restored parity early in the second half, brilliantly scooping a left-footed finish into the top corner after meeting Ademola Lookman's centre.
Alvarez has 26 Champions League goals, he outright fourth most by an Argentinian player, behind Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguer and Lautaro Martinez. Morten Hjulmand's 64th-minute red card made matters more difficult for Atletico, but Simeone was thrilled for Alvarez, who was jeered by the club's fans earlier this season.
"He scored a fantastic goal, I'm really happy for him," Simeone said of Alvarez. "We need him to get to where we want to be."
Atleti has kept just one clean sheet in its last 12 away Champions League games, shipping a total of 23 goals in those matches.
However, Simeone felt that, after a sluggish start, his team showed their mettle, especially after Hjulmand's dismissal.
"I think what we saw at the end of the first half and during the second, both with 11 and 10 players, is who we are: competitive, hardworking, humble, with many players who make great efforts," he said.
"We're trying to build towards the goals the club wants.
"With the [Stuttgart] goal, the team improved. That's normal, it made us react. The team started to show signs of being in the game. We knew the goal was coming, and with the sending-off, we had to readjust."
Atleti has taken four points from its first three Champions League outings this season. It's host Bayern Munich in its next fixture.
Julián Alvarez
Club Atlético de Madrid
