Spain Striker Joao Felix scored the only goal to help Barca defeat parent club Atletico Madrid 1-0 in round 15 of La Liga.
Felix joined Atletico for $142 million in the summer of 2019 and remains a member of the Madrid club under a contract that runs until 2029. He is currently on loan at Barca without a buyout clause. The deal does not include a clause prohibiting Felix from playing against Atletico, and he was allowed to play at the Olympic Stadium - Barca's home stadium when the Camp Nou was renovated this season - on December 3.
Felix made the difference with the only goal in the 28th minute. Receiving a pass from Raphinha, the Portuguese striker eliminated Nahuel Molina and then skillfully chipped the ball past goalkeeper Jan Oblak. This was Felix's fifth goal for Barca in all competitions, including two in La Liga and three in the Champions League.
Felix scored the decisive goal in Barca's 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona in round 15 of La Liga on December 3. Photo: AS
It was even more ironic when Felix scored in his first official match against Atletico. Previously, while playing for Atletico, the 24-year-old striker had not scored in eight matches against Barca in all competitions.
After scoring against his home club, Felix jumped onto the advertising board and spread his arms - a familiar celebration of Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid's shirt. Before the match, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said the club was ready to welcome Felix back, if he was not bought by Barca in the summer of 2024. But Goal commented that Atletico fans certainly do not want Felix to wear the team's shirt after this excessive goal celebration.
Felix's goal also helped Barca rise to third place in La Liga with 34 points, three points ahead of Atletico but having played one game more. In the next round, Barca continue to play at home against Girona - the club in second place with 38 points, only behind Real Madrid on goal difference, while Atletico return home to play Almeria.
Felix jumped on the billboard to celebrate scoring a goal against his home team. Photo: FC Barcelona
At the Olympic Stadium yesterday, Barca started the game better and continuously created trouble for the visitors' goal. At the 56th second, Raphinha had the ball in the penalty area, but he did not shoot straight in a one-on-one situation but passed it horizontally and was not supported by any teammates.
In the 12th minute, Jules Kounde broke free down the right and crossed for Robert Lewandowski to finish with one touch in an unmarked position, sending the ball wide of the post. At the end of the first half, Felix missed the chance to score twice when his close-range shot was blocked by Oblak.
The squandering of opportunities caused Barca to experience heart-stopping moments in the second half, especially towards the end of the match. In the 80th minute, Memphis Depay, a striker who played for Barca in the 2021-2023 period, took a dangerous free kick. But Inaki Pena - who started in place of Marc-Andre ter Stegen - jumped as far as he could to push the ball off the post. In the fourth minute of injury time, Pena continued to shine when he blocked Angel Correa's diagonal shot in a one-on-one situation.
Goalkeeper Pena saves for Barca from Memphis Depay's shot. Photo: Reuters
Barca continued to show their pragmatic style of play under Xavi when they had their 15th 1-0 victory since the start of last season, including 11 victories in the 2022-2023 season and four such results since the start of the season. This is the highest figure among clubs in the top five European leagues in the same period.
Line-up
Barca : Pena, Cancelo, Christensen, Kounde, Araujo, Gundogan, De Jong, Pedri (Fermin 89), Lewandowski, Raphinha (Yamal 77), Felix (Torres 77).
Atletico : Oblak, Gimenez (Lino 46), Hermoso, Molina (Azpilicueta 46), Witsel, Koke (Saul 66), De Paul, Llorente, Riquelme (Correa 46), Griezmann, Morata (Depay 65).
Hong Duy
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