Julián Alvarez was the big change in Atlético’s lineup at Anfield, with Simeone naming him to start against Liverpool in the Champions League after he had only come off the bench at San Mamés on the previous Saturday. The forward, who is still looking for his first goal of the season, was back in position from the start as Atlético reshaped its attack for the trip to Anfield.
That was the detail readers were searching for on a night when Liverpool Vs Atlético Madrid carried its usual weight: Alvarez was not just available, he was selected in the first eleven. In the morning, Enrique Cerezo had already signaled the mood around the move when he said, “El caso Julián está zanjado,” a line that matched the simple fact of the team sheet and pointed to the issue being closed rather than extended.
Atlético’s starting lineup also included Oblak, Llorente, Pubill, Cuti Romero, Hancko, Giuliano, Koke, Barrios, Baena and Kang-in, with Cuti Romero and Koke coming in instead of Grimaldo and Hjulmand. That made the selection at Anfield look less like a routine adjustment and more like a clear reset from the side that played at San Mamés, where Alvarez had been used only in the second half. The shift matters because it puts him back in the center of Atlético’s Champions League plans, even if the finish that would make the night feel complete has not yet arrived.
There is still one number that hangs over the decision: Alvarez’s last goal came against Arsenal in the semifinals of the Champions League. So the real test at Anfield is not whether he is fit to start, but whether Atlético’s most watched change of the night can turn a resolved case into a decisive one on the pitch.
