Barcelona welcomed Atletico Madrid to Catalonia on Matchday 15 of the 2023-24 La Liga season on Sunday night (December 3). Having looked wobbly in their recent outings, the Blaugrana needed a morale-boosting victory against a familiar foe. And Joao Felix ensured he was the one to hurt his parent club in the crucial Spanish top-flight outing. The game ended 1-0 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, with Felix proudly emerging as the difference between the two Spanish heavyweights.
Barcelona Produced Much-Improved Performance After Recent Criticism
Barcelona manager Xavi has recently come under fire for his team’s sub-par performances. For a team that prides themselves on their playing style, the Blaugrana have produced quite a few mediocre showings lately. On Sunday, they looked determined to make an exception, and it is safe to say they did not let their fans down.
Barcelona created quite a few chances before Felix found the back of the net in the 28th minute. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski had a clear sight of goal in the second and sixth minutes but somehow managed to drag their efforts wide of the mark. Lewandowski got another chance to break the deadlock when Jules Kounde cut the ball back for him, but the Poland international made a hash of the half-volley and dragged it wide.
Felix’s goal came following a breathtaking counter-attack, which saw Raphinha release the Portuguese with a perfectly weighted through ball. It took a deflection on his way to the Atletico Madrid loanee, but he reacted superbly to chip the ball over an onrushing Jan Oblak and put it into the back of the net. In the 44th minute, Felix got another goalscoring opportunity, but this time, Oblak was there to stifle his effort from close range.
In the second half, Raphinha clipped the outside of Atletico Madrid’s goal before Felix went for goal with an outside-the-boot effort. Luckily for the visitors, Felix’s effort flew off the mark. Barcelona’s finishing was not up to the mark, but their ingenuity was for everyone to see. The reigning La Liga champions ended the game with an xG of 2.55, while Atletico had an xG of 0.62. The Catalans had 13 shots and created six big chances, meaning they could have very well walked away with a much bigger scoreline.
Raphinha Played Like A Man On A Mission Against Atletico Madrid
While Felix scored the winning goal against Atletico, Raphinha was arguably the best player on the pitch. The under-fire winger chased down every ball, created chances, hit the bar once, and, of course, provided the assist. Against Diego Simeone’s men, the former Leeds United winger completed 37 of 43 passes (86% accuracy), created two big chances, pulled off two dribbles, and delivered two long balls. On the defensive front, he won a tackle, made five recoveries, and won four ground duels.
Xavi could not have asked for a more complete performance from the Brazilian ace.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
