Atletico Madrid Secures 3-1 Victory Against Union Saint-Gilloise With Goals From Alvarez And Gallagher

Add as a preferred source on Google

Atletico Madrid secured a 3-1 win against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League, marking a return to form. Julian Alvaraz, Conor Gallagher, and Marcos Llorente scored for Diego Simeone's team at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Giuliano Simeone set up Alvaraz to open the scoring in the 39th minute with a half-volley through Kjell Scherpen's legs.

Antoine Griezmann nearly doubled Atletico's lead before halftime, but his goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. The second goal came in the 72nd minute when Gallagher found the net through a crowded penalty area. Union Saint-Gilloise responded with Ross Sykes heading in Sofiane Boufal's cross with ten minutes left.

In stoppage time, Louis Patris missed a chance to equalise by heading straight at Jan Oblak. Atletico sealed their victory when Llorente scored on the rebound after Scherpen saved Thiago Almada's attempt. This win extended Atletico's unbeaten streak at home in the Champions League against teams from outside Europe's top five leagues.

Julian Alvaraz has been instrumental for Atletico, contributing directly to 16 goals in 11 home appearances in this competition, including nine goals and three assists in his last 11 matches overall. Although Griezmann had a goal disallowed, he achieved a milestone by surpassing Patrice Evra as the Frenchman with the third-most Champions League appearances, reaching 109 games.

Ross Sykes made history despite Union's defeat by becoming the third English player to score on his first Champions League start for a non-British club, following Marcus Edwards and Jamie Gittens. Meanwhile, Atletico continues to enjoy strong performances at home.

Atletico Madrid remains formidable at home, maintaining an unbeaten record across their last 17 Champions League matches against clubs from outside Europe's major leagues. This consistency highlights their strength on familiar turf and underscores their competitive edge in European football.