Julián Alvarez’s Atlético redemption arc in full focus for visit of Barcelona

Top spot is up for grabs in Sunday’s heavyweight clash as the Spider faces the team that tried to trap him last summer

Julián Alvarez said sorry but forgiveness must be earned on the field and Sunday would be the perfect place. At 9pm at the Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid play Barcelona. It is the biggest match in Spain right now, a place at the top of the table awaiting the winner; it is also the game the striker they call the Spider planned to play on the other side. That, Alvarez said in Dallas, was his “dream”. Denied that, he must defeat the men he wanted to join to win back the supporters he wanted to walk out on, no better opportunity than now.