Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone highlighted positive aspects of his team's performance despite the 2-2 draw against Villarreal to start their La Liga campaign on Monday. Atletico had to twice recover in the first half to secure a draw at Villarreal, who capitalized on defensive errors by their opponents. Arnaut Danjuma effortlessly defeated Atletico defender Axel Witsel to score Villarreal's first goal, and a costly mistake by goalkeeper Jan Oblak resulted in an own goal by Atleti captain Koke 19 minutes later.
"We played a good game. There are individual aspects we need to enhance, but as a team, we performed well, though we conceded goals that could have been prevented," Simeone told Movistar Plus. "The issue is, in the few attacking opportunities they had, we were ineffective and conceded two goals in isolated incidents. However, I observed positive elements and nuances that can make a difference over the course of the season."
Simeone expressed satisfaction with the debut of his high-profile signing Julian Alvarez, who entered as a substitute for the last 15 minutes but had minimal impact. Alvarez, an Argentine forward, joined Atletico just a week ago after Manchester City agreed to a transfer exceeding 75 million euros ($83.13 million) for the versatile 24-year-old.
"Julian is progressively getting acquainted with the club, his teammates, and our playing system, so we are optimistic that we will soon be able to fully appreciate his capabilities," Simeone stated. The manager also addressed Joao Felix's absence, attributing it to "the transfer market," following reports that Atletico had agreed to send the Portuguese forward to Chelsea.
"You will soon learn what I have already been informed," Simeone chuckled when questioned about Felix.
