Atletico Madrid captain Koke said his team is "tired" of the ongoing fuss around Julian Alvarez following the forward's failed summer move to Barcelona. Speaking after Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Liverpool, Koke urged everyone to "leave the boy alone" and let him focus on football. "We have to leave him in peace, because it's been a really tiresome summer from the media," he said.

Alvarez played his first full game of the season at Anfield and provided the assist for Marcos Llorente's opener. However, goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister turned the game around. Llorente, who scored his fifth goal at Anfield, defended his teammate: "We have no problem with Julian. He's a very important player for us."

Llorente added, "He gave me a marvellous assist. We need him to be sharp. He's been a long time without competing, but he did well, worked hard, and ran. That's what we need." Coach Diego Simeone also addressed defensive concerns after conceding five goals in two games, saying, "We need to adjust important details. Goals come from mistakes, and all teams take advantage."