Benfica’s João Félix has already arrived at Atlético. The Portuguese striker, signed in the summer of 2019 as the most expensive signing in the club’s history, It has experienced a leap of maturity in recent months. Since its incorporation, Simeone was looking for his ideal position on the pitchwith some first strokes thrown to the right wing, an evolution towards the midfielder and a new current version as a reference above.
Last season, after a first year of adaptation, he was managing to be the player decisive, with vision, dribbling, last pass and ability to dismantle defenses with a continuity that had been lacking in the first few months. However, an ankle injury disrupted all plans. João Félix ended up playing the second half of the season with a damaged joint to try to help his teammates win the League title, as he later acknowledged. But, his level was progressively descending and he was left out of the eleven in the last six games after having to come off against Betis with more ankle problems.
Now, at 22 years old, João Félix is showing its most voracious version as ‘false 9’. And that the start of the course had been complicated, starting the season late due to his operation, starting his league with a red card and a two-game banhaving to compete for minutes with Suárez, Griezmann, Correa and Cunha and appearing again some physical problems and the coronavirus to cut its progression. But, 2022 is being his year. João has been chosen by the fans as Atlético’s best player in March, as had already happened in February and his last games are the best guarantee.
The Portuguese adds seven straight consecutive starts, something that had only happened in his first season at the club, when he reached eleven. And playing as an area reference, he has scored five goals and two assiststhe last to Koke in Vallecasin addition to giving the penultimate pass with a great backheel for Griezmann in Lodi’s goal that qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. At Old Trafford he had also scored a goal very similar to the one achieved at the Benito Villamarín against Betisattacking the far post with a great movement in the area to take advantage of Llorente’s cross, but it was canceled for offside.
That adaptation to the point of attack and his good work as a reference above open up endless possibilities for Cholo, with Griezmann or Correa at his side falling to the wing or returning to second striker behind Suárez or Cunha. João Félix has increased his market value for the specialized page Transfermarkt from 60 to 70 million (its peak was the 100 recent arrivals) and artificial intelligence also shows its improvement and the details that appear in that tactical movement.
Joao Felix is the LaLiga player who receives the most fouls per minutealthough curiously it has been him one of the ten expelled that Atlético accumulates this course. According to Olocip data, it is also the team leader per minute in offensive value, the second in offensive duels won, the third top scorer, the third in aerial duels won, a quality in which he has been improving a lot, the third in through passes or the third in best shot selection, among other facets.
Compared to its previous two years, João Félix is in his season with the greatest offensive value, although still behind his 2018-19 season at Benficathe campaign with the most goalscoring contribution (it is two of last year’s ten with a minimum of eleven games to play) and the most finisher. That movement to be the reference of the team, has subtracted participation in the construction of the game, in total passes and assists compared to a year ago. A new João Félix, who has found in Griezmann an ideal partner on and off the pitch and that ahead of everything is increasingly decisive. The ‘7’ wants to continue with that growth in some exciting quarterfinals of the Champions League and a final sprint to finish among the top four in the League.