Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone emphasized the need for patience with new signing Julian Alvarez, who made his first start in a 3-0 victory over Girona. Simeone described Alvarez as an "incredible player for the present and future" of the club. Atletico, having finished fourth last season, displayed a robust performance with a blend of youth, new acquisitions, and seasoned players like Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke, who contributed to the team's first win of the season with their goals.
Despite Alvarez's subdued debut, Simeone remains optimistic about the contributions the former Manchester City striker can make. "Top players demand things to happen, people go to the stadium to watch them. We know what Julian brings and what he can give us," Simeone stated. "We will try to exploit his best qualities, as a first striker or second striker, or on the flank... he is still missing connection but that will come with training and matches, he has only just arrived but we have to give him time."
Simeone also praised midfielder Llorente, who was named player of the match after scoring his second goal of the season and providing an assist while playing at right-back. Simeone believes Llorente's strong form will intensify internal competition, particularly for regular right-back Argentina's Nahuel Molina, who will need to elevate his game this season.
Girona manager Michel acknowledged the need to move past last season's third-place finish in La Liga and start afresh after their 3-0 loss to Atletico left them in the bottom three. Despite the defeat, Michel found positives in their performance against a strong Atletico side and emphasized the importance of humility and continuous improvement for his team.
