Xavi betting on Portuguese international to shine against Atletico Madrid – reports

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid is La Liga’s headline clash of the weekend. After all, the tie includes two of the Spanish league’s three representatives in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

Needless to say, Joao Felix enters the spotlight as one of the most important players in the game considering his history with the Colchoneros. The player is currently on loan at Barcelona but has made it clear repeatedly that he has no intention of returning to the Spanish capital.

Xavi counting on the Portuguese

Barcelona played a dominant game against Napoli and would normally not prompt any tweaks heading into a second big game.

Xavi, however, is said to be tempted by the idea of capitalising on Joao Felix’s motivation to shine against his former club as revealed by SPORT. The game is after all at Civitas Metropolitano, a stadium he called home for years.

Felix will be aiming to silence the Atleti audience once again (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The manager was seen sharing special words with the former SL Benfica starlet after training on Saturday and it could well have been around a start on Sunday. It was, after all, Felix who scored the winner when the two teams locked horns earlier this season.

Xavi thus has two options – to either displace Raphinha or Lamine Yamal from the team that played Napoli. In either case, Felix will sit on the left wing.

What does the future hold?

Felix has made it clear that he does not wish to return to Cholo Simeone’s plans in any capacity.

However, it is also true that the Argentine manager does not see the youngster in his plans, thus opening the door to a departure again come June.

Barcelona hope to continue with the Portuguese next season but are not convinced enough to warrant a pricey purchase. A second loan is not ruled out, but a lot will depend on Felix’s performance in the coming months.

For the time being, it is clear that the 24-year-old will receive a hostile reception at the Civitas Metropolitano. His only goal will be to silence the crowd.