Julián Álvarez, Caught: His Gesture After the Controversial Penalty Betrays Him

One of the  decisive moments of the match between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, the second leg of the round of 16, is in the penalty shootout held at the Metropolitano. The footballers from both teams took the clash beyond extra time, but it was the white team that claimed victory.

That penalty shootout has left several moments for analysis. Besides the shots almost saved by Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak, the other strike that caught attention was Julián Álvarez's. The Argentine '19' slipped and, unintentionally, made a double touch that didn't prevent the ball from ending up in the goal then defended by the Belgian '1'.

It didn't take long for VAR to alert Szymon Marciniak about what had happened with the striker from Calchín. After the review of that play by the video assistant referee system, the Polish referee decided to annul Julián Álvarez's shot and count it as a miss following the established rules. That decision prompted a great anger from 'Cholo' Simeone in the post-match press conference.

But Szymon Marciniak made the right decision as can be seen in the dozens of images published in the last few hours and in the moments following the match. Julián Álvarez makes a double touch that even the Albiceleste striker himself might have assessed during the same shootout.

Not Clear About It

The image that would reveal that double touch is in the Atlético forward himself. When he returns to the center circle to join his teammates, the '19' colchonero discusses the play with Pablo Barrios, Samuel Lino, and Ángel Correa. The conversation among these four Atlético de Madrid players can't be understood correctly, but Julián Álvarez goes on to say "I don't know" at least twice.

The doubts the South American footballer had, perhaps regarding his own shot from the penalty spot, were finally solved. During that conversation with his teammates, the '19' even shrugs, unable to make a firm statement about the double touch he had made on the penalty.

These images corresponding to ESPN add even more debates about a decision that has provoked all kinds of comments and analyses on social media. The closest and highest quality images, obtained in the last few hours, show that the contact is minimal... but existent, so Marciniak acted as he should in counting that penalty shot as a miss.

This way, a tie in which Julián Álvarez, who was a white youth player for a very short time, has turned out to be one of the best players of the round, comes to a close. The '19' rojiblanco has demonstrated his quality but it wasn't enough to eliminate the reigning champion of the top continental competition.