Marca: Alvarez's Mindset Improves as Atletico Emphasize the Need to Restore His Form

According to Marca, Julian Alvarez showed a positive attitude during his substitute appearance after the transfer saga, while Atletico Madrid internally emphasized that they 'must get him back to his best form.'

'We must get him back to his best form' — this has been one of the most frequently repeated phrases inside Atletico in recent weeks. Of course, this refers to Alvarez and how he has felt in the dressing room after the episode involving Barcelona. Atletico have repeatedly emphasized that he will not play for Barcelona.

Barrios said in the dressing room at San Mames: 'We all know what he can bring.' Although the team lost 0-3, there was still a positive sign from the match: Alvarez's 30-minute substitute appearance was completely different from his previous performance against Villarreal. In that match, 'Spider-Man' made no impact on the pitch. Atletico's senior figures believe he had reached his lowest point, and now it is time to reactivate him.

The general feeling at the club and in the dressing room is that after the transfer window closed, the No. 19 player's mentality began to adjust again. As Gil Marin acknowledged, he went through a very difficult period, but he is now gradually focusing on regaining his best form. His performance after coming on as a substitute at San Mames was evidence of that. Four players were introduced at the same time in an attempt to overturn the 0-2 deficit, and he was the best among them, creating the clearest scoring opportunity and constantly looking for the ball. His attitude has also changed, as seen in training sessions over the past few days.

He has always received support from Musso, Giuliano and Koke, and after the match he went over to applaud the 200 fans who traveled to Bilbao. Admittedly, his face is still far from showing the happiness he displayed last season, but compared with the previous match — and his unsuccessful attempt to join Barcelona — he looked like a completely different player.

San Mames was a tough test, but even bigger challenges lie ahead. The first will be an away match at the very familiar Anfield and a return to the Champions League stage. He has previously won the Champions League, and last season's Champions League was the only competition in which he showed his best form. The Champions League trophy motivates him, and his 10 goals last season are the best evidence.

It should not be forgotten that this season's Champions League final will be held at Atletico's home stadium, the Metropolitano. Alvarez experienced his lowest point against Villarreal at this very venue, but Atletico also know that there is no player in the squad with greater talent than Alvarez. He needs to turn these positive signs into consistency in order to change his situation at Atletico.