Julián Álvarez: four goals in ten games against Barcelona

Rubén Uría casts Atlético vs Barça as Julián Álvarez's big game: facing the club he wanted to move to, with a divided fanbase and a need to prove he can be the team's star.

In the story of the day, Rubén Uría turns the spotlight on Julián Álvarez. "He doesn't know whether it will be the game of his life, but it is certainly one of the most important since he turned professional: he'll be up against Barça, the team he more or less wanted to play for. Everything he does on Sunday will make headlines, and he'll be scrutinised in the stands, in the press and on the pitch."

Uría recalls his record against Barcelona: four goals in ten games for Atlético, including an unforgettable top-corner strike at the Camp Nou that helped knock Barça out of the Champions League. Barcelona fans haven't forgotten that goal either, the beginning of the end of their European campaign last season.

On his situation, Uría explains that one section of the fanbase still hasn't forgiven him, while another has decided to move on as long as he behaves professionally and scores. The squad has his back, Simeone stands up for him, and the club has wrapped him in a protective blanket because it expects the best from him: a return to the level of his first season, when he scored 29 goals. Uría sums it all up in one very direct line: "It's your game, Julián."