Atlético Madrid's Setback in Bilbao: Llorente Urges Álvarez to Shine

Atlético Madrid walked into San Mamés unbeaten and walked out with a jolt. A 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, their first loss of the season, stripped away any early-season comfort and shone a harsh light on one man in particular: Julián Álvarez.

The Argentine forward, whose future dominated the final weeks of the summer window, finally stepped back onto the pitch. Atlético had refused to even open talks with Barcelona over a move, insisting he would stay and be central to their plans. On Saturday, he came off the bench with his team two goals down, the game already slipping away, and could not change the script.

Marcos Llorente did not hide how much they need him.

“Julián is a decisive player for us, and he knows that well,” Llorente told ESPN after the game. “He will gradually gel with the team, and the sooner the better because we desperately need his goals, and we must support him so he returns to his 100% level as soon as possible.”

No striker, no response

The night had already taken a strange turn before kick-off. Atlético started without a recognised centre-forward. The coach put his faith in Álex Baena and Kang-in Lee to carry the attacking threat, leaving Álvarez on the bench and new loan signing Jonathan David unused for the entire match.

Without a focal point, Atlético’s first half was tidy but toothless. They stayed in the contest, kept the scoreline level, and looked organised enough. It felt like the kind of game that would be decided by whoever struck first after the break.

Then came the collapse.

Two minutes of chaos

San Mamés has seen visiting teams crumble before, but this was brutal even by its standards. Within 120 seconds of the restart, Atlético’s evening disintegrated.

Nico Williams struck in the 46th minute. Robert Navarro followed in the 48th. From 0-0 to 2-0 in the blink of an eye, and Atlético never recovered. Oihan Sancet later added a third to complete a chastening night.

“You could say we lost the match in just 120 seconds,” defender Dávid Hancko admitted. “It was a very bad start to the second half, we lost concentration for two minutes and I don't know if we relaxed after the break. They were difficult moments, and perhaps it's good that this stumble happened early at the start of the season.”

Llorente’s assessment was just as blunt.

“We threw the match away in the first five minutes of the second half,” he said. “Those five minutes killed our ambition and afterwards we couldn't impose pressure or score a goal to unsettle the opponent. This should not happen again because we produced a good first half, and we must correct the mistakes and study the reasons for what happened.”

Álvarez under the spotlight

Once the damage had been done, Atlético finally turned to Álvarez. He came on with just over half an hour to play, trying to drag his team back into a game that had already slipped out of their hands.

There was rust, naturally, but also flashes of what he can offer. Hancko was quick to highlight them.

“It was clear that he was in good shape and wanted to take responsibility and make a difference,” the defender said. “Of course, a striker loses some balls against defensive blocks, but we saw those attacking flashes when he turned and shot with his left foot.”

For a squad that fought to keep him, those glimpses matter.

“He makes a difference for us, and I am very happy that he stayed,” Hancko added. “The whole team supports him and stands behind him, we need him and I think he needs us too.”

The message from inside the dressing room is consistent: Álvarez is not just another forward. He is expected to be the difference-maker, the finisher who turns tight games into wins. Atlético have nailed their colours to him after blocking his exit. Now they need the goals to follow.

A brutal week ahead

There is no soft landing after a night like this. Atlético now fly to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Champions League, one of the most unforgiving arenas in European football, before heading to Real Sociedad in La Liga.

A team that “lost a match in 120 seconds,” as Hancko put it, now walks into a week where lapses are punished without mercy. If Atlético are serious about their ambitions, this is where they prove it – and where Julián Álvarez must start to look like the decisive striker his teammates insist he is.