João Félix asks for gallons

João Félix put perhaps the only positive note from Atlético in the inoperative game of the mattress attack against Leipzig. The Portuguese, who was returning to the city that saw him grow, entered the field at 58 minutes for Herrera and changed the dynamics of the match. He began to come into play thrown to the left wing and the first thing he did were two precious and effective pipes. He sought to combine with Carrasco, the other player who was showing more imbalance and generated the goal that put the momentary draw for Atlético, which was ultimately insufficient.

He received in driving, he threw the wall with Diego Costa and was knocked down when he was already facing head-to-head. If Costa himself is the usual penalty taker, it was João Félix who asked take responsibility by throwing from eleven meters in the hot moment with an impossible shot for Gulacsi. His teammates looked for him and he went down to receive to be important in the ball exit, always turning between the lines when he had an advantage. The Portuguese left frustrated, aware that his good entry into the game had not been enough to at least force an extension. In a tough first year, it can be the piece to build your growth on next season.

Signed as the most expensive signing in club history last summer (127.2 million) After marveling at his debut in the first division with Benfica, his first year has not lived up to the expectations created in an excellent preseason. His first scorer against Real Madrid on the unforgettable night of 3-7 or his double against Juventus placed the illusions at the top, but with the start of the official matches things got complicated. Varying his position between the uncomfortable right wing and the second striker, where Simeone still did not see him prepared to find his gaps between the lines, he was interspersing flashes, like his Maradonian play on the first day against Getafe, with long periods of matches without appearing .

Second top scorer of the team

João Félix, only 20 years old, has had one of his great enemies in injuries. The Portuguese, Golden Boy supported by his 20 goals at Benfica, He has suffered two long-term stops due to physical problems that have hampered his participation. Despite that, games like Leipzig they reinforce your trust in him. He has plenty of quality, qualities and personality too, but all his teammates reiterate that he has to keep his head to be one of the best.

The balance of his first year is marked by the intermittence in his flashes, but if he achieves continuity he will be a unique player. Their numbers have been lower than expected, but the nine goals in 36 games have served him to finish as the second top scorer of a team that has suffered all year from hitting (only Morata has surpassed him with 16 goals). Already said Oblak in AS, “the beginnings here are always difficult. I have suffered a lot, I know how it is, how it can feel. But with time, if you have quality, patience and a cool mind, your moment always comes”. And that moment of João Félix is ​​expected to arrive next season. For now their numbers have improved to those of the first Kun Agüero, but he has to make a huge leap to be able to end up comparing himself with the Argentine, the other golden boy (he won the Golden Boy in 2007) from Atlético.