Joao Felix Proves He’s Worth The Hype

Joao Felix has been the best player in La Liga this season as Athletico host Barcelona on Saturday

Eyebrows were raised when Atletico spent €126 million on Felix in 2019, making the teenager the fifth-most expensive player.

 Then 19, it was clear he had a big future ahead of him, but the fee was huge for a player who had only made 26 league appearances in Benfica’s first team.

Felix had big shoes to fill, expected to pick up the goalscoring slack left by Antoine Griezmann’s departure to Barcelona.

And after a long period of struggle, he has exploded this season.

Joao Felix has five goals and two assists in seven Liga matches thus far, nearly equalling his strike tally from last season. He has added a further two goals in three Champions League outings as well as three goals for Portugal.

Expectation proved a weight on his shoulders last year as he managed to find the net on just six occasions in the top flight, offering glimmers of his ability but not much more in his first campaign.

Now while Griezmann struggles at the Camp Nou, Felix has hit his stride.

Athletico rejected the chance to re-sign Griezmann, and with Felix in form, they made the right call.

Joao Felix, Marcos Llorente and Suarez make up a compelling attacking trident, each player with a different skill-set.

When Felix is at his best, it is hard to stop him and Atletico.

Atletico have a great chance of winning the title and currently sit three points off the top of the table.

To win the league they need Felix to maintain his form and prove he is the real deal.

As good as he has been, Felix still needs to put on a show in a big game to truly demonstrate that he has arrived.

Barca’s visit offers the perfect opportunity.