Simeone Praises Julián Álvarez After 3-0 Loss

Five minutes. That is all it took for Atlético Madrid’s unbeaten start to the 2026-27 La Liga season to fall apart at San Mamés.

Athletic Club struck twice in roughly five minutes through Robert Navarro — his second goal arriving just two minutes after the first breakthrough — before Oihan Sancet added a third in the 90th minute to seal a 3-0 win on September 5, 2026.

Yet the loudest post-match sound came from the away dugout, where Diego Simeone singled out Julián Álvarez for praise despite the heaviest defeat of his side’s campaign.

Simeone’s Verdict: “He Did What I Expected Him To Do”

Speaking after the final whistle, Simeone was blunt about the one bright spot in Bilbao. “Julián Álvarez had a very good game. He was fighting from min 1 to min 90,” the Argentine coach said, before adding: “He did what I expected him to do.” The praise carried extra weight given the context.

Diego Simeone confirms Julián Álvarez as central to his project, and the forward returned from illness to make the bench at San Mamés. With Alexander Sørloth injured and unavailable, Simeone’s attacking plans were already stretched thin — which makes Álvarez’s 32-minute cameo all the more significant.

The Numbers Behind the Defeat

Álvarez entered in the 58th minute with the game still alive, and his impact was measurable. His left-footed shot in the 71st minute stood as Atlético’s biggest chance of the entire match, registering an xG of just 0.23. That single figure tells the story of a blunt attacking display.

Data Point	Detail
Final score	Athletic Club 3-0 Atlético Madrid
Álvarez’s key chance	Left-foot shot, 71′, xG 0.23
Álvarez’s minutes	Entered 58′, played to full time
Collapse window	Two goals in about five minutes
Third goal	Oihan Sancet, 90th minute

Worth noting: an xG of 0.23 as your best chance means Atlético created nothing clearer than a speculative opportunity across 90 minutes. For a club with title ambitions, that is the more alarming statistic than the scoreline itself. Full coverage via BBC Sport.

Simeone Points the Finger Inward

Here’s the thing: Simeone did not hide behind his players. He said the second-half collapse happened in “barely five minutes” and blamed the coaching staff for failing to get the message across at the break. It is a rare public admission from a manager in his second decade at the club, and it echoes themes we explored in Diego Simeone and the defensive paradox that has defined recent Atlético sides.

The defeat was Atlético’s first of the 2026-27 La Liga season, dropping them after they had collected seven points from their opening three league matches. The timing stings ahead of fixtures like Rayo Vallecano vs Atletico, where dropped points would compound the damage.

What Comes Next for Atlético

The response matters now. A trip to San Mamés is never easy, but the manner of the loss — a five-minute structural failure rather than a slow erosion — suggests a fixable problem. Simeone’s staff have a week to correct it, and Álvarez’s fitness and form offer a foundation. Our preview of Real Sociedad vs. Atletico already flagged how fragile the attack looks without Sørloth.

Verdict: Álvarez’s 0.23 xG chance was Atlético’s best of the night — Simeone’s staff, not his striker, own this defeat.

Atlético’s season will not be defined by Bilbao, but how Simeone rebuilds the midfield screen in five-minute windows like that one will decide whether seven points becomes a platform or a false dawn.

FAQs

What did Diego Simeone say about Julián Álvarez?

Simeone said Álvarez “had a very good game” and “was fighting from min 1 to min 90,” adding that “he did what I expected him to do” after the 3-0 loss at San Mamés. Full coverage via BBC Sport.

When did Julián Álvarez come on against Athletic Club?

Álvarez entered as a substitute in the 58th minute and played until the final whistle, having returned to the squad after an illness.

Who scored for Athletic Club in the 3-0 win?

Robert Navarro scored twice in a five-minute spell, with his second goal coming two minutes after the first, and Oihan Sancet added the third in the 90th minute.