Atlético Madrid patiently waiting for Julián Álvarez to reach his best form

Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone stressed that the club are ready to be patient with Julián Álvarez, whom he believes will play a key role in helping his team achieve their objectives.

The Argentine forward, who has scored only two goals and provided three assists in all competitions this season, most recently set up Giuliano Simeone's opener against Barcelona, but the Catalan side went on to win 2-1. Atlético Madrid did not back down against Barcelona, who made a strong effort to sign Álvarez last summer, and even raised the prospect of legal action.

Although Álvarez has yet to reach the peak level expected of him, Simeone reaffirmed his faith in the player. "He is an extraordinary player, we love him very much and we need him," the Argentine head coach said. "We need the best version of Julian, and we will work with him to get it. He was involved in three or four of the five clear chances the team created. The only thing missing was the goal that would put him in the spotlight, but that will come too."

The experienced head coach also backed his forward at the post-match press conference. "We would all love him to score, but we will wait for him," he said. "If we want to get where we are aiming to go, we need him; otherwise we will not get there." Asked whether Álvarez was lacking confidence, Simeone replied: "I am not inside his body, but our confidence in him is total."

Álvarez led his team in the Barcelona match with four shots, seven touches in the opposition box and three successful dribbles, and also created two chances.

The defeat ended Atlético's seven-match winning run in LaLiga. The capital club are third, two points behind second-placed Real Madrid and five behind leaders Barcelona.

Simeone said he was pleased with the fight his team showed. "I am very happy with the players' extraordinary performance, I have nothing to complain about," he said. "We put the opponent in a situation where they could not feel comfortable. We did not show the finishing we have shown in other matches, while they are a very confident side who make good use of the chances they get. I am proud of the lads, I really liked their fight and I am extremely happy with everyone's performance."