Deco and Joan Laporta made magic. Well helped by their friendly relationship with agent Jorge Mendes – there is no denying it – the two thinking heads of FC Barcelona managed to offer two nice names to Xavi at the very end of the deal: João Félix and João Cancelo. A Portuguese duo who also met obvious needs: Barça was looking for a right back as well as a player with a creative profile for their offensive sector. After the international break, during which the two men defended the Lusitanian colors, they started with FC Barcelona.
And the least we can say is that the two Joãos made a strong impression. The striker, on loan from Atlético, played a little over an hour of play and scored the first goal of the heavy Catalan victory (5-0). The full-back played the entire match, and even scored a nice goal to finish off the Blaugrana show. Two XXL performances where the two Portuguese gave the sensation of playing for Barça for years already, showing the full extent of their class and displaying an exceptional understanding with their new teammates.
The media are under the spell
The Catalan media are on cloud nine this Sunday morning. Certainly, the two Lusitanians were not the only Barcelonans to have shone, far from it, but they are receiving great praise. In the notes of the meeting, the daily Sport thus awards a nice 9/10 to Cancelo, the best score of the match. “He demonstrated everything he learned with Guardiola these years. He’s more than a full-back”, writes the media. As for Félix, he receives an 8/10 and is described as “special player” having made “spectacular debut”. Just that.
In the other big Catalan sports newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, same story. The two Portuguese receive particularly positive comments. The daily explains that Joao Félix is “a brilliant striker”. The media notably publishes that the player touched 56 balls, and succeeded in the 12 passes he made in the final third, a sign of his influence in the construction of Barça’s offensive actions. Cancelo participated in the game even more than his compatriot (81 times, but he played the entire match), and the media is already comparing him to Dani Alves. “A total side”, we can read. We’ll have to confirm, but it’s off to a good start…
