It had to be him. Barcelona inflicted Atlético Madrid’s first league defeat at the Metropolitano in over a year and João Félix was the man who hurt them because, well, because of course he was.
The most expensive signing in Atlético’s history, the forward who still belongs to them but is desperate never to go back and who would not be welcomed back either; the man who went to Barcelona on loan and scored the only goal when these two teams last met, leaping on to the advertising boards at Montjuïc and blowing his former fans a kiss in December; the man who was whistled every time he touched the ball on his first trip back, scored the opening goal. He did not celebrate this time, just as he had promised, but it still stung.
