João Félix has started the season in an impressive form.
After an inconsistent 2019/20 season in which we could only see glimpses of his immense quality, the Portuguese forward is the joint top goalscorer in La Liga with five goals in seven appearances.
He has also scored twice in three matches in the UEFA Champions League and is only two goals away from equaling his total figures last season.
In this tactical analysis, we’ll analyze Félix’s unique playing style, what he brings to Atlético Madrid’s tactics, and why he was chosen to replace Antonie Griezmann after he left for Barcelona in 2019.
João Félix Player overview
On paper, Félix is a striker, usually forming an attacking partnership with Luis Suárez at Atlético Madrid.
But he doesn’t really act as a classical number nine on the pitch.
Félix likes to move around all the left zone of his team’s attack.
He certainly gets closer to central positions as the ball gets closer to the goal, but he likes to come deep to play in midfield, receive close to the left touchline, and move between the lines.
His technique is excellent, and he feels comfortable in any situation.
From a physical point of view, Félix is good but not outstanding.
He’s of average height (181cm / 5’11’’) and slim-built.
He’s agile and well-coordinated, meaning his pace is good in long spaces, but he is also capable of moving quickly and accurately in tight pockets of space.
Even if he’s not a strong player, he knows how to use his body and can shield the ball effectively.
We can see this in his heatmap below.
Félix likes to come deep to get the ball, even into his own half and appears everywhere on the left side, both close to the touchline and in the half-space.
He’s also present in and around the box and becomes more central when he advances. We could consider Félix more of a left-attacking midfielder with an eye for goal than a proper striker.
Using Total Football Analysis’ xGold, we found that, according to stats, Iago Aspas, Joaquín Correa, and Roberto Firmino are among the most similar players to Félix in the top five leagues.
This gives us a good starting idea of Félix’s playing style.
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