Cristian “Cuti” Romero powers Atlético: goal in the 87th vs Alavés

Cristian “Cuti” Romero was the standout name as Atlético de Madrid beat Deportivo Alavés on Saturday, October 10, at Mendizorroza. The Argentine defender netted the 1-2 in the 87th minute to seal an agonizing comeback-style win.

On Movistar, Juan Pablo Sorín—who knows the player well and is Atlético’s fellow countryman—highlighted how quickly Romero has fitted in: “It’s like he’s been there already… seems like he’s been carrying the club for five seasons.” Sorín pointed to his leadership and calm, all-round style.

A captain who finds the net

After the international retirement of Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María, Lionel Scaloni and the rest of the squad moved the captaincy to Romero. With Argentina’s armband, he also scored again: against Bolivia, he found the net in the 4-0 win, finishing what the article describes as his best scoring year with six goals across all competitions.

Numbers behind the streak

Simeone’s side are on a four-game winning run in LaLiga, and Romero is in all of them. Mundo Deportivo also highlights his top-tier defensive and distribution stats: 8.4 total defensive duels per match (74%), 5.2 interceptions on average, about 6.8 recoveries in the opponent’s half, and 91.8% passing accuracy.