In a night that saw Atletico Madrid keep their flickering title hopes alive, coach Diego Simeone found a unique way to keep striker Julian Alvarez on his toes—by teasing him with a little Lewandowski motivation.

Atletico Madrid stormed back from an early deficit to defeat bottom-placed Real Valladolid 4-2 at the Civitas Metropolitano, a win that not only solidified their grip on third place in La Liga but also showcased the grit and flair of a side refusing to fade out of the title race. And at the heart of it all? A striker being pushed to greatness in the most Simeone way possible.

Julian Alvarez, who coolly slotted home two penalties on the night, now boasts 26 goals in all competitions—14 in La Liga. But according to his coach, there's still room to grow.

"Julian is having a great season, we need that player, especially in moments of the game like against Sevilla and today," Simeone told reporters. "He has scored 14 league goals, but we tell him that Lewandowski has scored many more," he added with a grin.

The playful jab wasn't just for headlines—it's classic Simeone psychology. Alvarez responded in style, spearheading Atletico's attack and dragging them back into a game that once looked shaky.

The Rojiblancos fell behind early to a Valladolid side fighting for survival, but showed resilience once again—just as they had a week earlier in a dramatic 2-1 comeback at Sevilla. Alongside Alvarez's double, goals from Simeone's son Giuliano and Alexander Sorloth rounded off the scoring and underlined the team's attacking depth.

Simeone, never one to shy away from the emotional side of football, admitted his son's impact has been a pleasant surprise this season.

"I didn't expect him to perform like this," the Argentine said of Giuliano. "I did expect him to help us, that's why I thought of having him as just another player in the squad. Honestly, he's having a great season and hopefully he can keep it up. Nothing will be given to him, and he knows it. He knows me better than anyone."

With the victory, Atletico now sit just seven points behind league leaders Barcelona and three behind Real Madrid, clinging to a slim hope that the title race may yet throw up a twist.

Simeone, typically unfazed by chaos, shrugged off his team's habit of falling behind.

"It happened against Sevilla and today too. There are things you can't control and that happened today. But we worked through it with team effort, like we've been doing all season."