Julián Álvarez scored two goals in the second half to boost the confidence of 10-man Atlético Madrid to a dramatic 2-1 comeback win on Tuesday against Bayer Leverkusen, which sees them move closer to a top-eight Champions League finish.
It was not a too-smooth day for Atletico Madrid after Barrios was shown a red card in the 23rd minute of the match. Bayer Leverkusen took the advantage as Piero Hincapie scored a goal for the team in the final minute of the first half.
Regardless of the setback, a 70,000-strong, capacity-filled crowd cheered Atletico, while Alvarez scored an equalizer in the 52nd minute through an amazing counterattack.
Hincapie, a player of Bayer Leverkusen, was also shown red in the 7th minute, which made his team vulnerable. Alvarez did well by taking advantage of Leverkusen’s defensive error in the 90th minute to secure the dramatic victory.
The win has pushed Atletico Madrid to third place on the Champions League’s table, stamping their place in the last 16. They will be playing against Red Bull Salzburg in their group’s last game, while Leverkusen now sits in sixth place and will be hosting Sparta Prague in their next campaign.
