Simeone stands by Julián Álvarez after Atlético's loss to Barcelona

Julián Álvarez again came up empty in front of goal, but his coach went out of his way to back him without hesitation. After the 2-1 loss to Barcelona at the Metropolitano in LaLiga, Diego Simeone made a point of stressing that the Argentine forward had "an important game" despite being unable to finish off the chances he created.

Atlético came out on the front foot, taking the lead through a goal from Giuliano Simeone, assisted by Álvarez himself, and for much of the first half gave a Barcelona side that couldn't settle into the game real trouble. But Fermín López struck twice to turn the result around and take all three points.

For Simeone, Álvarez's performance goes beyond the final score. The coach ran through the moments when the former Manchester City man came close to scoring and underlined his importance to the team's attacking play.

He showed up in both chances against Joan García and in the assist for Giuliano's goal. In the second half he also had the cross to Baena. He's a great player. We love him and we're going to wait for him. To get where we want to go we need Julián Álvarez, otherwise we won't get there.Diego Simeone

This was no ordinary match for Álvarez. It was Atlético's first meeting with Barcelona since June, when the forward admitted he had wanted to leave the club, something he later apologized for to the Atlético faithful. Against that backdrop, his coach's public show of support carries extra weight.

"Proud of the boys"

Beyond Álvarez's individual case, Simeone said he was satisfied with his team's overall performance, especially in the first half, when Atlético pressed high and forced Barcelona into an uncomfortable game.

I take away an extraordinary performance from my players. Nothing to complain about. We pressed well in the first half and made our opponents uncomfortable. We didn't have the clinical edge we needed, and they're very good. In this kind of situation, they're very good with the chances they get. Proud of the boys. Very happy with everyone's work.Diego Simeone

The coach also offered a broader read on where his team is at, in the middle of a transition with pieces still needing to settle into the collective system. As he explained it, the first 45 or 50 minutes reflected what they're aiming for, though the game then shifted in tone.

I leave knowing we're a work in progress, that we have room to improve and players who still need to keep growing. You always want the ones who come in to do really well, and sometimes that doesn't happen, but the first 45 or 50 minutes were very good. That was our time. Then came Barcelona's.Diego Simeone

The defeat leaves Atlético with the feeling of having let a clear opportunity slip away, but also with their coach's explicit backing for one of his most decisive players, one he has no intention of giving up on despite the missed chances against Joan García.