Nicolás González delivered one of his best performances in an Atlético Madrid shirt, scoring twice in a chaotic first half that also saw Thiago Almada sent off in their 3-2 loss against Elche.
With Diego Simeone rotating his squad due to the team’s focus on the Champions League, several Argentine players were given a chance from the start. While Julián Álvarez was left out to rest, both Nicolás González and Thiago Almada were in the lineup—but their nights could not have been more different.
González took full advantage of his opportunity. Just nine minutes into the match, he led a counterattack from midfield and combined well with Álex Baena, who returned the ball with a clever backheel. González, already leaning onto his left foot, finished while falling to open the scoring with a quality strike.
In the 34th minute, the Argentine produced another outstanding moment. Chasing a long ball over the defense, González controlled it with two headers to get into the box, lifted it over the goalkeeper, and then headed it into an empty net. After a brief VAR review, the goal stood, completing his brace and bringing the match level heading into halftime.
While González was the standout performer, Almada endured a night to forget. The former Vélez midfielder lost possession in a dangerous area while trying to turn under pressure. In an attempt to recover, he brought down his opponent and conceded a penalty. The referee showed him a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, and André Silva converted from the spot to put Elche ahead at the time.
Atlético Madrid, currently sitting comfortably in fourth place in La Liga, has shifted its main focus toward the Champions League, where they are just a few matches away from a potential title run.
