Atletico Madrid 3-0 Real Betis
João Félix scored his first goal since February as Spanish champions Atletico Madrid recorded an impressive victory over in-form Real Betis at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The Portuguese international was not selected in Diego Simeone’s starting line-up for the Sunday afternoon match in La Liga, but after entering the action for the final twenty minutes Félix registered his first goal of the season.
The decision to not start Felix surprised many, with sections of the media commenting that Simeone continues to display inconsistent trust in the former Benfica man. A first-half goal by Yannick Carrasco and an own goal by Betis defender German Pezzella (63’) gave the hosts a two-goal lead ahead of Félix's introduction.
It took the 21-year-old less than ten minutes to make his mark, breaking in behind the high Betis defensive line to latch onto Carrasco’s throughball before finishing well with his left foot. The goal was initially ruled offside by the linesman, but a VAR check reversed the decision, much to the delight of Simeone who watched from the stands.
It was Félix's first goal since he scored against Villarreal at the end of February in La Liga, since when the forward underwent an operation following Euro 2020 which delayed his return at the start of the campaign. Félix has also seen his season disrupted by a red card and suspension in September, all of which means he had started just three of Atletico’s eleven league matches so far.
Local newspaper AS commented on Felix’s omission from the side by writing: “The benching of João Félix was not understood among the Rojiblancos fans. He rounded off the game with a good goal, which shows that in addition to being enormously talented, he can also score. Simeone has not yet given the Portuguese all his confidence. And João has already earned it with his great first half of last season and risking his ankle to keep playing.”
Félix’s next chance to impress comes in the Champions League, with Atletico set for an intriguing trip to Anfield to play English side Liverpool.
By Sean Gillen
