Star signing Julián Alvarez is starting to produce, but the team around him is falling apart. | Photo by Mateo Villalba/Getty Images

Los Colchoneros were unfortunate on Wednesday, but ultimately have no one to blame but themselves. The last time I wrote at length about the state of Atlético Madrid, I signed off by saying ?the more things change at Atlético, the more they stay the same?. You?ve seen by this point that I am going to lead this time with that same thesis, following Atlético?s second successive loss in the UEFA Champions League, this time to French side LOSC Lille.
Even without Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente, and Robin Le Normand on Wednesday night, the prevailing wisdom went that this would be the night when Atlético would get back on track in the one competition it has never won. This would be the night when ?105 million of attacking signings in Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth would take off on a big stage ? especially against a much-rotated Lille side. And on eight minutes, when Alvarez picked the pocket of 19-year-old defender Ousmane Touré and deposited the ball past Lucas Chevalier, it appeared as if Atleti really were going to soar to victory ? even though Sørloth was missing chance after chance with the scoreline stuck on 1-0.
Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

Lille?s lineup was youthful but full of pace, and Atlético?s relative comfort in possession led to complacency after hal...