Before Atlético Madrid’s match against Barcelona, fans of the club resorted to burning a João Félix jersey and vandalizing a plaque bearing his name, accompanied by insults directed towards the player outside the Metropolitano Stadium.
However, once the match commenced, the Portuguese forward responded emphatically on the pitch.
Félix continued his impressive form against his former team on Sunday, scoring the opening goal in Barcelona’s commanding 3-0 victory over Atlético Madrid in the Spanish league.
Robert Lewandowski and Fermín López also found the net for Barcelona, as they secured their fifth consecutive league victory over Atletico, propelling them into second place in the standings.
Félix had previously secured a win for the Catalan club with his goal in their 1-0 triumph in the league back in December. The Portuguese international is currently on loan at Barcelona from Atletico after experiencing a falling out with the club last season.
Despite his goal, Félix faced loud jeers from the Atletico fans at the Metropolitano Stadium when he was substituted in the 77th minute. The forward had arrived at Atletico in 2019 for a staggering fee of 120 million euros (now $130 million) but struggled to meet the lofty expectations associated with his signing.
Félix opened the scoring from close range after being set up by Lewandowski in the 38th minute, becoming the first Barcelona player to score in both matches against Atletico in a single league season since Lionel Messi in 2019-20.
Lewandowski extended Barcelona’s lead with a clinical finish early in the second half after Atletico midfielder Rodrigo De Paul’s errant pass, before setting up López for Barcelona’s third goal in the 65th minute with a well-placed header. Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández hailed the performance as their most complete match yet.
Atletico’s Nahuel Molina was shown a red card in stoppage time for a foul to halt a Barcelona counterattack, while Xavi himself was sent off before halftime for protesting.
This defeat marked Atletico’s first league loss at the Metropolitano Stadium since January 2023, also against Barcelona. Additionally, it was their worst home defeat in any competition. Atletico coach Diego Simeone admitted that Barcelona were superior on the day.
The victory further boosted Barcelona’s momentum following their Champions League triumph over Napoli, securing a quarterfinal spot for the first time in four years. With an unbeaten run of eight league matches, Barcelona now sits two points ahead of third-place Girona and eight points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
Despite their recent Champions League success against Inter Milan, Atletico’s form has been inconsistent, with six losses in their last 10 matches across all competitions, only managing three wins in that period.
Simeone’s side dropped out of the Champions League places with this defeat, trailing fourth-place Athletic Bilbao by one point.
