FC Barcelona-Atlético Madrid: Felix X factor, Lewandowski in the middle of a crisis... the tops and the flops

Tops

We were waiting for Griezmann... we had Joao Felix. Less publicized than his Atlético counterpart in brilliant form, the Portuguese was Barça's number 1 asset against Atlético (1-0). Beyond his nice goal (29th), Barça's jewel was in the oven and in the mill, in the construction, the recovery (8 balls recovered!) as well as... in the provocation (three yellow cards for fouls suffered ). All against his former club... where he is supposed to return at the end of the season (he is on loan for one season). Which certainly didn't stop him from celebrating.

A masterclass. Both in the game without the ball and under pressure, the Pedri-Gundogan-De Jong trio reigned in the midfield at Montjuic. The expected physical challenge against players of the caliber of Koke and De Paul ultimately did not take place. The fault lies in an early tactical reorganization but above all in constant control, from the metronome Gundogan (113 balls, match record) to the more daring Pedri and De Jong, sometimes flirting to the limit for the beauty of the gesture. This same De Jong author of a saving comeback on Griezmann in the first period (37th).

Propelled into the arena by the injury of the ever-present Ter Stegen (injured back), Barça's replacement goalkeeper saved his team at the end of the match. First with an exceptional save on a no less aesthetic free kick from Memphis Depay (84th) before remaining firm and straight, like Ter Stegen, in front of Correa (90th 4). Two points saved for a La Masia goalkeeper who is usually a substitute? This is reminiscent of Arnau Tenas' performance for his first with PSG, a few hours earlier on the Le Havre pitch (0-2).

Flops

A serious crisis of confidence? While Felix entertained his people at his side, “Lewy” had a dark evening, culminating in an inexplicable miss in the box (86th). Before that, a missed header from close range (10th) and an acrobatic gesture that was once lethal but this time flew into the stands (15th). In total, zero attempts on target out of five and a disconnection from the rest of his partners, sometimes too quick for him. It is not impossible to imagine that Xavi invited him to stay on the pitch to avoid whistles when he left, he who is always attracting more criticism from Catalan supporters who are ever more nostalgic for Luis Suarez. It was enough to take a look at X (formerly Twitter), a true barometer of supporterism, where his name quickly appeared as a “top tweet”. And not for his exploits.

Obviously expected, given his leading performances since the start of the season (13 goals in 18 matches), the leader of Atlético de Madrid was entitled to special treatment from his former partners, against whom he has still not scored since the end of his failed stint (2019-2021). Far from being the worst visiting player on the field, quite the opposite, the Mâconnais did not have his usual influence, muzzled by the excessive possession of the premises. But he almost made the decision with crumbs, with his two big chances (37th, 60th). One thing is certain, his first La Liga goal against Barça will wait.

The comparison with the Barça rearguard is quite striking. On the one hand, youth in the power of a young but no less exemplary captain (Araujo, 24 years old), on the other, a Witsel-Gimenez tandem caught short on each acceleration. Both warned for big fouls on Felix, the two defenders will have symbolized the difficulties of the evening for the Colchoneros, usually so solid in front of their cages. On arrival, this short Catalan victory imperfectly reflects the defensive ordeal of Simeone's men, long saved from the glaring local inefficiency.