Alvarez The Real Deal For Atletico

Argentina ace has ability to help Simeone's side outdo city rivals in Champions League

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For Atletico Madrid, it has been a repetitious and painful tale whenever they have faced neighbours Real Madrid in Europe, but this time, they hope summer signing Julian Alvarez will be able to rip up the script.

The Argentina international has become Atletico's key attacking threat after arriving from Manchester City last August and will lead the line for them on March 4 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League last 16.

Atletico have reached three Champions League finals and lost every time, including against Real in 2014 and 2016.

Those agonising defeats, the first in extra time and the second on penalties, were compounded by Los Blancos wins in the 2015 quarter-finals and 2017 semi-finals.

The only other occasion they have met in the competition was in 1959 when, after an aggregate semi-final draw, the tie went to a play-off. Real emerged triumphant and went on to lift a fourth consecutive European Cup.

Their dominance in the competition has held until this day, with Carlo Ancelotti's side record 15-time winners and the current holders.

Diego Simeone's team were ousted by Borussia Dortmund in last season's quarter-finals, one of the low points of a miserable campaign. They responded in the summer by signing Alvarez for a fee which could rise to £82 million ($140 million), hoping the 25-year-old forward would become the cornerstone of their side.