Atletico Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Alvarez double helps hosts to comeback win

Piero Hincapie opened the scoring as he put Leverkusen ahead just before the interval, but Alvarez equalised seven minutes into the second half before hitting a 90th-minute winner.

Both teams finished the game with 10 men, but Atletico played more than an hour a player down after midfielder Pablo Barrios was sent off in the 25th minute. Leverkusen goalscorer Hincapie then also saw red in the 76th minute.

Barrios was given his marching orders after a reckless studs-up tackle from behind on Jeremie Frimpong, before Hincapie nodded a dominant Leverkusen team ahead in first-half stoppage time.

But Diego Simeone's side found a way back through Alvarez, who battled past Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah and finished past Matej Kovar to make it 1-1.

After Hincapie received his second yellow, Alvarez secured the victory as he rounded goalkeeper Kovar and tapped the ball into an empty net for Atletico's fifth win in seven matches in the competition.

Third-placed Atletico have 15 points while Leverkusen are sixth with 13 points.

Nunca.Dejes.De.Creer. pic.twitter.com/2vU4q93jky

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) January 21, 2025

Alvarez has now netted in three straight Champions League games, in which he has scored a total of five goals.

He has had a hand in 14 goals in his last 13 home Champions League appearances for Manchester City and Atletico, with 11 goals and three assists. An incredible 79% of his goals in the competition have come on home soil.

It was also a landmark night for Atletico centre-back Clement Lenglet, who made his 50th Champions League start.