João Félix starts off Barcelona’s comprehensive win at Atlético Madrid

He was the one who caused the pain for Atlético Madrid as Barcelona handed them their first loss in more than a year at the Metropolitano. It was inevitable that João Félix would be the one to do it.

The player who cost the most money that Atlético has ever spent on a signing is currently part of their team, but he does not want to return and they would not accept him even if he did. This individual was lent to Barcelona and managed to score the only goal in their previous clash, which resulted in him jumping onto the advertising boards at Montjuïc and blowing a kiss to his former supporters in December last year. When he returned for the first time, he was jeered every time he touched the ball, but he still managed to score the initial goal. Although he kept his promise not to celebrate, it still hurt.

In the beginning of the game, an outstanding goal was scored, followed by two more goals in the second half by the amazing Robert Lewandowski, who not only scored one but also assisted in two goals. With this remarkable performance, Barcelona managed to secure a triumphant 3-0 win. This victory has led Barcelona to reach the second position and be eight points behind the top. At the same time, Diego Simeone's team has been bumped out of the Champions League spots.

Xavi asked, "Why shouldn't we dream of winning the league?" He added that while Félix had only played 60% of the minutes this season, he was certain that he should start on Sunday. Félix was highly motivated, as he wanted to make a difference, and he did. Félix has scored nine goals and provided five assists since joining Barcelona, and he would be thrilled to stay in Catalonia.

As the game neared its end and Félix was taken off, the sound of boos echoed throughout the stadium. Atlético Madrid, who had a strong start to the game, had now lost their record and the match. They had previously won 40 out of 42 points at the Metropolitano, but this time they were unable to respond to the Portuguese player's goal in front of the home fans. These same fans hoped that Félix would never play for the team again - a sentiment reinforced by his defaced plaque outside of the stadium and some supporters even burning his shirt.

In the end, Barcelona proved to be too skillful and efficient on the field - a result that wasn't expected from the beginning. During the first half hour of the match, Barcelona struggled to gain control due to the unexpected absence of Andreas Christensen, who was needed in the midfield. Finding it difficult to keep possession, Marc André ter Stegen decided to take a chance and pass the ball directly to Lewandowski on the other side of the field. Ter Stegen made some great passes during this time, but unfortunately his poor accuracy caused Pablo Barrios to miss during the fifth minute.

Whenever Félix had control of the ball, there were loud jeers from the audience. This was mainly because he had not had possession of the ball very often during the game. By the time 30 minutes had passed, he had only touched the ball five times, which was not too different from the rest of the Barcelona team. Meanwhile, Atlético was dominating the game.

Rodrigo Riquelme, Álvaro Morata, and Nahuel Molina worked together to set up a shot for the Argentinian team, but it was blocked. Samuel Lino passed a ball into the area for Morata, but he couldn't handle it. Molina made a smooth move up the right side and passed the ball to Lino, but it was too strong. Lino managed to collect the ball and found Morata at the near post, but a great stop from the remarkable 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi prevented a goal.

Despite their efforts, Atlético Madrid struggled to execute their plays, particularly when it came to Morata's timing. As a result, they gradually lost their pace and momentum on the field. Meanwhile, Barcelona swiftly gained control and managed to create more opportunities within a mere three minutes than they had in their previous ten attempts. Though Felix had limited involvement in the game, his contributions proved to be the most impactful in the end.

Prior to this, Lewandowski delivered a high and arcing ball to the far end of the field, allowing Raphinha to almost hit a goal. Cubarsi also executed a fantastic extended pass, freeing up López who then encountered a quick save from Jan Oblak. After these attempts, the Portuguese player wrapped up a skillful sequence of actions to be the first to score.

Ilkay Gündogan evaded two opponents and made an excellent pass to set up Lewandowski, who then passed it to Félix to score. Félix did not jump onto the advertising boards like he had in previous games. Instead, he simply hopped from one foot to the other before disappearing into a swarm of his teammates. López acknowledged him, but Félix had previously said he would not celebrate a goal and did not point at anyone.

Morata missed an opportunity to even the score but missed the shot as he was substituted during halftime. Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann came in to replace him. Meanwhile, Xavi has once again been disqualified from the game. Shortly after, the lead was increased. Thanks to an error made by Rodrigo de Paul, who lost possession, Raphinha was able to assist Lewandowski with a clean, low shot within the first minute of the second half.

During the game, Atlético attempted to score but Ter Stegen made an amazing double save from Marcos Llorente and Depay. However, things went downhill for the home team after a clear move by Gündogan set up Lewandowski. He then proceeded to cross for López, who was completely unmarked in front of the goal, allowing him to head in the third goal. At the end of the match, Félix exchanged jerseys with other players before leaving the field and being greeted by his former teammates and staff who knew the full story. Félix commented, "Those who saw everything know the truth, and I understand that people on the outside may not. Therefore, I may not be the one at fault here."