OVIEDO, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 28: After netting the opening goal for Atletico de Madrid, Julian Alvarez celebrates alongside his teammate during the LaLiga EA Sports clash against Real Oviedo at Carlos Tartiere on February 28, 2026, in Oviedo, Spain. (Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) Getty Images
An Atlético de Madrid team with several rotations narrowly defeated a resilient Real Oviedo at Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere on Saturday evening, as Julián Alvarez netted a last-minute goal in the 94th minute, clinching a 1-0 victory for the away side — who climbed to joint-third in LaLiga and achieved their fourth away win of the season. Let’s delve into the details of the match.
The play that culminated in Alvarez’s goal started with a turnover and a throw-in for Oviedo.
Ultimately, that’s how it ought to have turned out.
On the right flank, Álex Baena delivers a fierce cross into the box that narrowly evades Antoine Griezmann. However, left-back Julio Díaz swiftly retrieves it, executing a precise touch to maintain possession as Alvarez positions himself as a passing option just outside the penalty area.
Having made 53 appearances for Atlético Madrileño since 2024, the 21-year-old Díaz faced his first challenge in Primera against a Real Oviedo team battling to remain in the league. Matched up against the tricky Haissem Hassan, Díaz managed to draw two fouls from the talented winger and secured six out of 12 ground duels. Despite his relatively small height of 5’7”, which may have contributed to his performance, Díaz’s speed and nimbleness provided a contrast to the 6’2” Matteo Ruggeri. Although he experienced 14 ball losses, only four players had more touches than Díaz, who recorded 72; he successfully completed 40 of his 47 passes (19 out of 23 in the Oviedo half) and demonstrated confidence as a ball-carrier. It was an encouraging debut.
Alvarez maneuvers away from the penalty area as Díaz locates him, then continues his run into the box. This prompts Oviedo’s midfielder Kwasi Sibo, whom Alvarez skillfully holds off with effective shielding and body control. Alvarez advances the ball across the penalty arc; while Baena is urging for the ball in a confined area, Araña spots the unmarked Nahuel Molina, presenting a chance for a first-time cross.
Molina’s cross, seemingly aimed at Griezmann, falls short and deflects off Baena’s right foot. While Molina’s action was unintentional, a closer look reveals that Baena’s instinctive choice to merely flick the back of his boot at the ball creates a cut-back opportunity for Alvarez. This “flick” completely removes Santiago Colombatto — the midfielder following Baena — from the equation, leaving the ball available for Alvarez.
With Alexander Sørloth off the field (substituted after an hour) and the situation becoming precarious, Alvarez makes a move towards the box. He positions himself near the penalty area and seizes the loose ball, capturing Sibo’s focus once again. This time, Alvarez shifts onto his left foot and fires Atleti’s initial shot on target past goalkeeper Aarón Escandell.
Alvarez’s eighth goal represented his first in LaLiga in 119 days — since his penalty initiated the scoring in a 3-0 victory against Sevilla on November 1. This marks only the second league match this season where Alvarez has found the net during open play, and it is the first occasion he has scored in a league game away from home since the opening matchday in August.
It’s a significant moment for Alvarez, whose challenges have sparked considerable curiosity and speculation following his impressive tally of 29 goals during his inaugural season at Atlético. This achievement also highlighted what had been a lackluster team performance against Oviedo, the side sitting at the bottom of LaLiga.
Atlético struggled in the xG department, finishing at 1.10 compared to 0.97, and relied on Jan Oblak to make six crucial saves against the league’s last-placed team. In Asturias, Atleti managed to win only 41 percent of their aerial duels and 45 percent of their ground duels; for a significant portion of the match, the Colchoneros found it difficult to penetrate defenses or stretch the play, even after Giuliano Simeone came on in the 61st minute. For 93 minutes and 10 seconds, Escandell remained untested by a shot on target.
One perspective suggests that Barcelona will be eagerly anticipating the chance to overturn a 0-4 deficit from the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Tuesday evening. However, considering Simeone’s Atlético, one could also contend that the unocerismo trait has resurfaced at a pivotal moment. This marks only Atleti’s fourth 1-0 victory in LaLiga this season — for context, during the 2017/18 campaign, they achieved that scoreline 11 times — and it was the match where the Rojiblancos took the longest to find the net. When Alvarez’s shot nestled into the back of the net at 93:11, it became Atleti’s latest goal in LaLiga since Alexander Sørloth’s 96th-minute strike against Barcelona in December 2024.
Tuesday marks a pivotal moment in Atleti’s season thus far. Barcelona, having comfortably defeated Villarreal 4-1 earlier on Saturday, have been discussing the remontada since the conclusion of the semifinal first leg. The blaugrana are expected to dominate the second leg. They will approach the match with high intensity and are likely to net several goals.
After a lackluster showing against Oviedo, followed by a hard-fought victory over Barça to secure a spot in the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 13 years, the narrative nearly unfolds itself.