Has the champion's touch returned? Little Spider won 17 titles in 7 years, but has won 0 titles in the year and a half since joining Atletico Madrid, though he has reached the Copa del Rey final.

The 26-year-old Argentine forward Álvarez truly seems to have a champion's touch. In the 7 years of his career before joining Atletico Madrid, 'Little Spider' won 17 titles, including major trophies like the World Cup, Copa América, the Champions League, and the Premier League. However, in the year and a half since Álvarez joined Atletico Madrid from Manchester City for a €75 million transfer fee in the 2024 summer window, he has won zero titles under Simeone's rigid tactical system, leading some to say his champion's touch has vanished.

In the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, Atletico Madrid suffered a 0-3 away defeat to Barcelona. However, thanks to their 4-0 advantage from the first leg at home, they advanced to the Copa del Rey final with a 4-3 aggregate score, where they will face Real Sociedad for the title. The final kicks off at 3:00 AM Beijing time on April 19th, giving Álvarez a chance to win his first trophy with Atletico.

Álvarez's lack of titles at Atletico is not due to poor personal performance. Last season, 'Little Spider' posted impressive numbers for Atletico with 29 goals and 7 assists in 54 appearances. This season so far, he has already contributed 14 goals and 7 assists in 42 games. His year-and-a-half title drought at Atletico is likely more attributable to Simeone's tactics. Conversely, since Álvarez left Manchester City, the club failed to win any major trophies last season. This season in the Premier League title race, City currently trails Arsenal by 7 points, a gap that appears nearly impossible to close.

From a personal perspective, Guardiola's fixation on Haaland and the sale of Álvarez has cost the team the ability to break down packed defenses with long-range shots and driving forward play. Manchester City's capability in crucial, high-stakes matches has actually declined. For example, in City's 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, Haaland was ineffective and received a match-low rating of 6.1. Especially following De Bruyne's departure, City is in serious need of a creative attacker with long-range shooting ability like Álvarez.