Barcelona suffered an early blow in their eagerly awaited clash against Atletico Madrid. The hosts found the net to open the scoring at the Metropolitano in matchday 12 of the Spanish league, a thrilling start that set the match alight.
Giuliano Simeone grabbed the goal, pouncing on a well-placed pass from fellow Argentine Julian Alvarez to turn Atletico's strong start into an early lead.
Alvarez began the move with a low cross into the penalty area. Simeone burst forward from behind at great speed and fired the ball into the net, sparking delight among the Atletico fans who celebrated their side's lead.
After the goal, the Spanish newspaper "AS" highlighted Alvarez's striking numbers against Barcelona, noting that the Catalan side is the Argentine striker's favourite opponent.
The newspaper stated: "Julian Alvarez has contributed to seven goals against Barcelona in 10 matches across all competitions in an Atletico Madrid shirt, having scored four goals and provided three assists, which is his highest number of goal contributions against any other opponent."
Statistics network Opta revealed the teams Alvarez has contributed most against in an Atletico shirt across all competitions. Barcelona top the list with 7 goal contributions, made up of 4 goals and 3 assists.
Tottenham and Real Madrid came next with 5 apiece. Alvarez scored 3 goals and provided two assists against the English side, while he netted 4 goals and delivered one assist against the Spanish royals.
Valladolid, Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano also featured, with 4 goal contributions against each. He scored three and set up one against Valladolid, netted two goals and provided two assists against Real Betis, and scored 4 against Rayo Vallecano.