With just a few hours to go until the first game of the official season for Manchester City and Liverpool takes place, it is no secret to anyone that all eyes will be on Erling Haaland, and Darwin Núñez in both institutions waiting for the definition of the title of the Community Shield. The Norwegian, like the Uruguayan, have already started to do their thing, reporting goals in the friendlies played.
However, and although Julián Álvarez is expected to have his moment as a starter alongside Erling Haaland, they know that they have to take it easy. Haaland and Álvarez are 22 years old, but the former Borussia Dortmund already has a broader journey in Europe, and the former River Plate barely jumped into football on the old continent.
Although that seemed like the plan, Pep Guardiola was delighted with what Julián Álvarez showed, which seems to make it difficult for Erling Haaland, who seemed to be the unmovable starter, to take over. The South American striker was in the friendly against Club América from Mexico, adding his first start and playing 71 minutes. Then, against Bayern Munich, he came on after 40 minutes.
The Argentine journalist Miguel Simón conducted an interview with Pep Guardiola to investigate the future of the striker. Guardiola maintained, ‘we were not wrong with Julián Álvarez. We had told each other that he was a fantastic boy, which we have verified. He is a team player, where he is noted for the effort he puts in. In addition, he has a goal, when it falls near the area, he has the goal between his eyebrows, I think he has been an extraordinary signing who will be here for many years and will help us a lot ‘.
Manchester City lent Julián Álvarez again to River Plate so that the team could train him in a better way, Pep Guardiola referred to that continuity he had, ‘we are going to take advantage of all the work he has done with Gallardo at River Plate and hopefully we can add something to his game, that he can grow and be happy here. I am convinced that Julián came from a great team, that they have a lot of demands and that you have to win or win. I thank River for the training they have given him’.
In addition, he maintained that both Julián Álvarez and Erling Haaland can play together, ‘Julián can be complementary to Haaland. He can adjust to playing with Erling. Julián has already adapted, he already showed it in training. The one who is good does it in mid-afternoons. The good ones don’t need time, they adapt quickly. He who is rascal is rascal everywhere’.
