Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone expressed his excitement on Sunday about the impact of English midfielder Conor Gallagher and Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, both of whom have recently joined the team. Gallagher, who transferred from Chelsea this summer, scored his inaugural La Liga goal in Atletico's 3-0 victory over Valencia at home. "He arrived with immense enthusiasm, and we required a player of his caliber in the midfield as he elevates our game," Simeone remarked during a press conference. "He consistently delivers his best in every match situation he encounters."
Another new acquisition, Alvarez, netted in the 93rd minute, marking his first goal in Spain's top division since his move from Manchester City. "We all needed him to score, for his own peace of mind and to align with what he loves... hopefully, this goal is just the beginning of many," the manager stated. "I envision him thriving on scoring goals and the excitement it generates, appearing today as he always does, at the most unexpected moment when hope seems to wane, and fortunately, he scored."
Simeone further noted that the reinforced squad, which includes new signings like Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, is integrating exceptionally well, enabling them to compete at the desired level. Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino nearly scored in the first half before Atletico took the lead in the 39th minute when Gallagher finished into the bottom corner, capitalizing on a superb pass from Rodrigo De Paul that slipped through defender Cristhian Mosquera's legs. Sorloth, another summer signing, created several dangerous opportunities but was thwarted by goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Valencia fought valiantly for an equalizer, with Javi Guerra's long-range attempt going wide, but they couldn't stop Antoine Griezmann from scoring after Lino's header fell into his path nine minutes after the break. Alvarez sealed the victory with his first La Liga goal after joining from Manchester City, slotting home Rodrigo Riquelme's cross in the 93rd minute.
"I didn't feel any pressure to score; I merely state that the goal occurs as a natural outcome of the game, and you must be ready when the opportunity arises," Alvarez told Spanish TV. "We're performing well as a team, off to a good start. Now, we have Champions League matches on the horizon, and we must continue working to sustain this momentum," he added. Atletico, who remain undefeated this season, moved into second place, tied on 11 points with Real Madrid and four points behind leaders Barcelona. They are set to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Thursday.
