After a difficult integration at Atlético de Madrid, the Portuguese prodigy Joao Félix has taken the format from the hand of Diego Simeone and shines at his best level to face Manchester City on Tuesday.
In the last eight games, Joao Félix has scored seven goals… As many as in the previous 60 games.
The 22-year-old Portuguese has managed to turn his talent into goals, despite some misunderstandings at the start of the season with the coaching team or his teammates.
“We know that Joao had a great talent, but there are times when talent is not everything,” Yannick Carrasco told the Movistar+ platform after the 4-1 win over Alavés on Saturday in LaLiga matchday 30.
“Work is important, thinking about the team, not thinking about yourself and Joao understood this year, he worked hard, he understood that the group is more important than the name and today he is a key player for us and very important.” added the Belgian winger.
On Saturday against the red lantern of LaLiga, the Portuguese “shone every time he touched the ball,” summed up Marca.
“Milimetric passes and high-quality actions. Every time he came into play he improved the play. He is, without a doubt, the player with the highest quality at Atlético,” added the newspaper.
Victim of a blow to the left side with the Portuguese team last week, Joao Félix recovered from his discomfort to join the rojiblanco team in a rush, before the continental clash in England.
Connection Griezman-Félix
But, if his current level justifies the 126 million euros, including variables (146.7 million dollars), that the colchoneros had paid in 2019 for him to Benfica, the adaptation was not easy for the “Menino de Ouro”.
This second attacker, who plays in the same place as Antoine Griezmann, could not score more than 9 goals in his first season with the colchoneros and ten in the second in official matches.
This season, two months from the end of the campaign, he has already matched his figures from last year with 10 goals and six assists.
But, at the beginning of the season, neither the injuries, which caused him to miss 26 games since his arrival, nor the return of Griezmann, managed to appease his anger.
Joao Félix, annoyed by the return of the French ‘Little Prince’, even tried to leave the club. One more misunderstanding with Simeone’s technical team, which he refused to let his jewel out.
“But the changes of the season have made things change. Now, the N.7 is the undisputed starter… and forms a terrible duo with the Frenchman,” Marca wrote in mid-March.
sparks
After the feat of Old Trafford (victory 1-0 after drawing 1-1 in the first leg) to get a ticket to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the two players, now friends, exchanged shirts and went together before the cameras to play crossed interviews.
Despite the fact that, from time to time, sparks still fly, such as on March 19 on the pitch of Rayo Vallecano (1-0 victory), when Joao Félix walked around the field in anger after being substituted by Luis Suárez (64) , Simeone has finished giving the title stripes to the Portuguese.
“Everything we demand of Joao, he is doing it, he has a goal, talent, vision of the game, speed, defense”, said Simeone, after the game against Alavés, adding that “as long as he plays well, he will play. He shines, so he plays “.
