Joao Felix’s eminent dinked finish procured Barcelona a fundamental 1-0 success over Atletico Madrid on Sunday in the La Liga title race. The Portuguese forward, borrowed at Barca from Atletico, made no confidential of his pleasure to get away from the Spanish capital this late spring and made his parent club pay at the Olympic Arena. Felix was censured by some Atletico players on the ball and Barca mentor Xavi Hernandez approached him to involve those words as motivation, which he appropriately did.
The forward’s objective permitted Barca to recover third spot from Atletico, presently following pioneers Genuine Madrid and runner up Girona by four.
“He significantly impacted the group once more, he gave everything, really buckling down, taking the ball back, I’m exceptionally glad for him,” Xavi told columnists.
“I advised him to be quiet, this additional inspiration some of the time speeds you up and you go too far.”
Xavi hailed his players’ exhibition in general.
“The group had character, we played very well today – – perhaps it’s our most impressive performance of the time, a total one, I would agree.
“It’s an exceptionally sure indication of what we can and ought to do in each game – this is the very thing that Barca ought to be.”
Atletico have not won away against the heroes in La Liga beginning around 2006, a run presently extending to 18 matches, yet showed up figuring this could be an ideal opportunity to snap that streak.
Since disintegrating to a loss in the Clasico by Genuine Madrid toward the finish of October, Barcelona have battled for structure and certainty.
Barcelona began well, cutting out possibilities and Felix broke the gridlock following 28 minutes, taking a splendid touch to ride Nahuel Molina’s test and afterward dinking the ball over Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Felix celebrated with arms up high, remaining on the promoting hoardings before the furious visiting allies, while Rojiblancos mentor Diego Simeone seemed displeased as he streaked up on the huge screens.
The 24-year-old forward, a club record marking at 126 million euros ($137 million) in 2019, never got comfortable the capital and didn’t click with Simeone’s administration and playing style.
“It was unconstrained… in the intensity of the game and it resembled a consolation, for all that I survived this mid year,” Felix enlightened Movistar concerning his festival.
“Consistently I’m discussed, whether for good or terrible, I go about my business, without taking a gander at what they say or think.”
– Restitution –
Maybe not incidentally, Axel Witsel was before long reserved for hacking Felix to the ground soon after.
Felix came near a second with a pushed exertion from Ilkay Gundogan’s scaled back, yet this time Oblak denied him.
Gundogan dazzled in midfield close by fit-again team Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, as Barcelona controlled the game.
Raphinha cut the post toward the beginning of the final part to get Barcelona spreads out of their seats.
Notwithstanding their great rivals, the participation missed the mark concerning 35,000 and was the club’s most unfortunate this season, with allies maybe berated by the colder winter nights and the late start up.
Atletico worked on in the final part however not by enough to drive a balancer.
Charm Antoine Griezmann tried sincerely yet couldn’t track down the net against his old bosses – – he has not gotten in that frame of mind against Barca for the Rojiblancos.
Memphis Depay, another ex-Barcelona player, came nearest for Atletico with a free-kick spilled by Inaki Pena, between the sticks for the hosts instead of the hurt Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
“They began better, they had greater character with the ball,” conceded Simeone.
“The group improved and got the opportunities to level.”
Robert Lewandowski ought to have wrapped up Barcelona’s triumph yet pulled a work wide late on – he just has three objectives in his last 10 games for the club across all contests.
Atletico, fourth, trail Barca by three and the main two by seven.
“The thought was to go for the game and I don’t have any idea what occurred,” Atletico goalkeeper Oblak told Movistar.
“No one was great in the primary half, no one needed the ball, no one needed to play.”
Prior winless base side Almeria were held 0-0 at home by 10-man Genuine Betis, seventh, on Sunday.
Battling Sevilla, fifteenth, drew 1-1 with Villarreal and have not won in that frame of mind under new mentor Diego Alonso between La Liga and the Heroes Association.
