Sports
La Liga: Álvarez Booed as Atlético Madrid Draw Villarreal
Julián Álvarez was met with boos from sections of Atlético Madrid fans as his side played out a dramatic 2-2 draw against Villarreal in La Liga.
The Argentine forward started on the bench and was jeered while warming up, with the reaction reportedly growing louder when he entered the game in the 66th minute.
Amid growing speculation about his future, Álvarez has been linked with a possible move away from Atlético, with Arsenal and Barcelona among the clubs reportedly monitoring his situation.
Marc Pubill gave Atlético the lead shortly before the hour mark, but Villarreal responded quickly through Gerard Moreno, who converted from the penalty spot.
The visitors then went ahead after Robin Le Normand was sent off in the 76th minute for a foul on Georges Mikautadze inside the box. Mikautadze stepped up and scored the resulting penalty.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Atlético refused to give up. Giuliano Simeone completed a swift counter-attack five minutes from time to rescue a point for the hosts.
Álvarez went straight down the tunnel after the final whistle as more boos were heard from sections of the home crowd. Diego Simeone later said the forward’s early departure had been agreed beforehand.
The result leaves Atlético Madrid with four points from their first two league games, while Villarreal have drawn both of their opening matches.
