Julian Alvarez hat-trick sparks Atletico Madrid comeback before Madrid derby

The result giving Diego Simeone's side a crucial lift ahead of Saturday's derby with Real Madrid.

Alvarez opened the scoring with a brilliant volley after 15 minutes, but Atletico's familiar problem of surrendering leads resurfaced before half-time when Pep Chavarría stunned Jan Oblak with a spectacular long-range strike. The visitors then took the lead early in the second half, Alvaro Garcia rounding Oblak and finishing calmly to silence the home fans.

Atletico, however, rallied. Alvarez struck again from close range after Augusto Batalla spilled a cross into his path, before sealing his hat-trick in the 88th minute with a thunderous effort from distance. It was only Atletico's second La Liga win of the season, moving them up to eighth in the table, while Rayo's winless run stretched to four matches.

Simeone was full of praise for his striker afterwards. "Alvarez is very good, he's the best player we have," he said. "We have to look after him and help him get better. He is the player who makes the difference for us, and we need him here for many years."

Alvarez admitted he had been frustrated in recent weeks, particularly after being substituted in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Mallorca. "People on social media said I said 'always me,' but that's not true," the Argentine told ESPN. "I was angry with myself, not with the coach. These things happen, especially now with social media."

Defender David Hancko highlighted the pressure of playing at Atletico. "When you're at such a big club and you're not winning, you feel it from everywhere, yourself, your teammates, the coach. It's not easy."

The victory came at a vital moment, with unbeaten Real Madrid up next in one of La Liga's biggest fixtures. Los Blancos top the table with maximum points from six games. Simeone acknowledged the challenge: "They are in an incredible moment, with decisive players all over the pitch. They have grown as a team compared to last season. They are a great opponent."

Atletico now head into the derby with renewed belief, but Simeone will know they must improve their consistency if they are to close the nine-point gap to their city rivals.

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