Julián Álvarez scored his first goal for Atlético Madrid in almost six months as they fought back from a goal down to draw 1-1 at Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Jamie Leweling put Stuttgart ahead in the 36th minute, before Álvarez's first-time finish from Ademola Lookman's cross levelled the game after halftime, and then Morten Hjulmand's red card meant Atlético played the last half hour with 10 men.
Star forward Álvarez, who tried to force a move away from Atlético to Barcelona in the summer and angered of the club's fans, hadn't scored this season. The Argentine last found the net on April 29 in a Champions League game against Arsenal.
"I was sure the goal was going to come," coach Diego Simeone told Movistar on Tuesday. "We got the 1-1, and we couldn't keep the game where we wanted because of the sending off, which affected us.
"The sending off was fair. I always tell the boys: whenever you leave the floor, you're close to a red card."
Álvarez impressed in last season's Champions League, scoring 10 goals on Atlético's run to the semifinals, but had provided just one assist in this season's competition, away at Liverpool, before Tuesday's goal.
"He's been creating a lot of chances in recent games," full-back Alejandro Grimaldo said. "He's our best player.
"He needed that goal, and we hope this will be the first of a lot of goals for him this year."
Atlético's draw left them 15th in the Champions League table on four points, after they followed a defeat at Anfield on Sept. 9 with a win over Manchester United last week.
Their next Champions League match is a demanding game with Bayern Munich on Nov. 3.