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It was one of those nights to remember-the kind that fuel hope for Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone and leave Hansi Flick in a very difficult position after the 4-0 thrashing in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals against FC Barcelona.
Among all the positive moments, Julián Álvarez's goal stood out. The Argentine striker had been going through a prolonged goal drought, which finally came to an end, and the strike also highlighted the impact of Ademola Lookman following his arrival at Atlético, as the Nigerian forward provided the assist.
In truth, Julián Álvarez hadn't scored in over two months in official competition, becoming a growing concern within Atlético Madrid-but that streak is now over, and one of the first to celebrate was Simeone himself.
What Simeone said about Julián Álvarez
"Julián's work in the first half was incredible. Scoring is something he has in him. Thank God he scored again-something he really needed and that will surely free him up for what's coming," the Atlético Madrid coach said during the post-match press conference.
Atlético Madrid displayed tremendous offensive efficiency throughout the Copa del Rey clash. Diego Simeone praised the performance of the attacking quartet made up of Giuliano Simeone, Julián Álvarez, Antoine Griezmann, and Ademola Lookman, highlighting that they "interpreted the spaces the game offered in the best possible way."
Julián Álvarez's goal came from a well-constructed team play that started from the back. Juan Musso initiated the move, Nahuel Molina overlapped down the right flank to find Lookman, and the Nigerian forward laid the ball back to the Argentine striker, who finished with a powerful first-time shot from the edge of the box to beat Joan García.