Atletico Snatch Point from Near-Loss as Álvarez Returns

Atletico Madrid and Villarreal played out a dramatic 2-2 draw in their La Liga second-round clash. Marc Pubill (59’) put the hosts ahead, but Villarreal turned the game around with two perfectly executed penalties from Gerard Moreno (66’) and Georges Mikautadze (78’). The foul leading to the second penalty saw Robin Le Normand sent off with a direct red card, tipping the scales in Villarreal's favor. Despite being a man down, the capital club managed to equalize through Giuliano Simeone five minutes from time.

Another talking point from the match was the return of Rojiblancos striker Julián Álvarez, who has expressed a desire to leave. However, the Argentine was booed by the entire Metropolitano crowd.

For this encounter, Atletico coach Diego Simeone opted for his key players, a contrast to the previous round against Malaga where he fielded numerous reserves and youth prospects.

The unsung hero for the Madrid side was goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who made a series of crucial saves, including denying Tejjon Buchanan in a one-on-one situation at 2-2 in the dying seconds of regular time.

The "Yellow Submarine" had the clearer chances before the break but failed to take the lead. After almost an hour of play, Spain's World Cup winner Marc Pubill gave Atletico the advantage with a superb left-footed strike.

Soon after, however, new Atleti midfielder Morten Hjulmand fouled Buchanan in the penalty area, and Gerard Moreno converted to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute.

Seconds later, Julián Álvarez entered the game, once again met with a chorus of boos from the home fans. During his time on the pitch, "The Spider" made little impact.

In the 78th minute, Villarreal even took the lead after Mikautadze converted their second penalty of the match.

Curiously, the VAR team instructed head referee Alejandro Hernández to review an incident from two minutes earlier, which he had initially overlooked. In that instance, Mikautadze was pushed in the box by Le Normand, but the referee had waved play on. Following the VAR signal, he corrected his decision, awarding a penalty and also sending off the Spanish defender.

However, Cholo's men refused to give up, and in the 85th minute, his son Giuliano equalized after an assist from Álex Baena.