Can Joao Felix of Barca snap his skid over Real Madrid
The fact that Xavi has repeatedly been able to convert
Clasico victories in the United States during the preseason into victory over
Real Madrid later on when it matters is one of the defining characteristics of
his coaching tenure at Barcelona. One of the most significant flaws of Joo
Félix's career is that his dismal record against Los Blancos is exactly the
reverse.
The crown prince of Portuguese football, who this week is being hailed as some sort of
bargain-basement Blaugrana messiah after posting three goals and four assists
in nine games since joining Barcelona on loan, has faced Madrid eight times in
competitive matches, more than any other opponent. He has also never
experienced victory.
He must have initially believed Real Madrid were easy targets and that, having moved to
LaLiga in the summer of 2019, his destiny was to dominate his new club's rivals.
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Félix was introduced to the rivalry with Madrid
during a summer "friendly" at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey,
thanks to Atletico Madrid's record-breaking financial folly that cost a
whopping €128 million to acquire him from Benfica. In less than a minute, he
helped Diego Costa score, then seven minutes later, he added a beautiful goal.
By halftime, Atleti had a 5-0 lead as they were clearly moving to a Portuguese
beat. Los Colchoneros won 7–3 in the end.
Even if one team
played all out and the other was basically flat, Félix notched two assists in
addition to his goal, humiliating Los Blancos.
A genius was born in New Jersey, according to Marca, Spain's leading football publication. This
kid is a genius! Joao Félix has nearly too much football in his boots. Well,
that's a wrap.This talented and intriguing playmaker has faced nothing but
outright humiliation against Real Madrid from referee Ted Unkel's final whistle
that day until kickoff on Saturday (Stream LIVE: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, 10
a.m. ET, ESPN+ (U.S.)) in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium high on Montjuic Hill,
where Barca are playing while Spotify Camp Nou is being rebuilt.
The sight of
Vincius Junior, Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, and the rest pulling up should send
shivers of dread anticipation down Félix's spine, even though he has been
effective and even conscientious since Xavi found a spot for him in the
starting XI of the reigning Spanish champions.
Just over four years ago, I taught them how to play football in East Rutherford, and ever
since then, everything has gone wrong.Eight times for both Atletico and
Chelsea, Félix has faced Real Madrid. He has a record of 0 wins, 2 draws, 6
losses, and 0 goals or assists. For the 23-year-old, it is almost equally
upsetting that he has never participated in the entire match against Real
Madrid. As opposed to making three bench-starts and being withdrawn in the other games.
The most traumatic encounters Félix had with Real Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine
Zidane, were when he lost his first final as a Rojiblanco -- the 2020 Spanish
Supercup, which was won 4-1 on penalties -- and when Madrid defeated Frank
Lampard's Chelsea 4-0 on aggregate in the Champions League quarterfinals, while
Félix was there on a half-season loan.
To put it briefly, Félix has gone from acting like a brat during that first exhibition game in the
United States to being treated like one ever since.
In this season's opening Clasico, maybe Xavi and company might be looking for a different kind
of "savior"? As they get ready to battle in a stadium where Barca
have only experienced victories since coming there in August, Madrid holds a
slim one-point lead over the reigning LaLiga winners.The Clasico on Saturday
has all the traditional components of a derby even though it isn't one in the
strictest meaning of the word. When these two enormous -- and enormously proud
-- clubs lock antlers and rut as if there is no tomorrow, for instance, all
that has come before will be irrelevant in the ensuing chaos. Given that his
earlier victories over Madrid may now be unimportant, perhaps Félix might take
advantage of this fact.
Prior to the game, Barcelona is significantly less strong. Even if two or three of their
much-missed injured players (Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri)
return to bolster the Montjuic Mountain ranks, they would still be severely
lacking in match preparation. Although Xavi has only been in command for a
little under two years, his tenure has been distinguished by his ability to
lead a team that will struggle, dispute, hold on, and win in situations where,
in prior years, other Barca teams would have lost.