Barcelona secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in a tense La Liga encounter, all thanks to loanee Joao Felix. Felix’s goal was the ultimate decider that now puts Barcelona within four points of league leaders Real Madrid. Recall that Felix is on loan from Atletico. He left the club in September, amidst controversies surrounding his stay and playtime. Meanwhile, his excellent chip secured the only goal of the match. 
Joao Felix scored the only goal in the match – Getty image In the second half, Atletico attempted to mount a comeback, but Barcelona’s defense deterred them. Barcelona’s Raphinha hit the post, and substitute Memphis Depay faced a huge save from a free-kick. Atletico’s Angel Correa also tested Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Inaki Pena, who made a crucial stop. The win by Xavi Hernandez side put them in a promising position in the La Liga title race.
Xavi Hernandez has accused Manchester City of blocking Joao Cancelo from joining Barcelona which he manages, despite an agreement being reached. Cancelo moved to Bayern Munich on loan in January and has made 15 appearances in the German top-flight league for the Bavarian giants. 
Xavi Hernandez presiding over Barcelona match. Source: Getty In an interview with TV3, Xavi revealed that Joao Cancelo was offered to Barcelona, but the deal was struck out by Manchester City after an agreement was reached. The Barcelona manager said; “We wanted Cancelo. They offered him to us and we gave the OK. In the end, they tell us that Manchester City does not want him to come to Barça. That is true.” 
Cancelo posing with the Bundesliga trophy. Source: Getty At the moment, Bayern Munich are unlikely to activate the €70 million (£62m/$78m) purchase option in Cancelo’s contract, meaning he’s facing an uncertain future. It is also unclear if Barcelona will make a move for him again. 
The Blues defeated Manchester City to win the Champions League in 2021, few months after Tuchel was appointed as manager of the team. Cancelo who was one of the regular starters at Manchester City at the time, is now hoping to create more positive memories in 2023 with his new boss. 
The Bayern Munich star who spoke to Sport TV after helping Portugal get a 4-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their opening game of Euro 2024 qualification, said; “I’ve only found out now. I know I won’t find Nagelsmann when I return to Munich. He wanted me at Bayern, I’d like to thank him. As for Tuchel, he made me lose a Champions League final, so I hope he will win it for me this year!” 
The Portuguese star who moved to Stamford Bridge in January on loan from Atletico Madrid, gave the correction during a press conference. Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s crucial meeting with Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night after a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, Felix was asked by a journalist how to correctly say his name. Many English and Spanish fans incorrectly pronounce his name ‘Jow Fee-lix’ but the star revealed that it’s actually “Je-wow Feh-lix”. 
“Everyone says ‘Fee-lix’, even in Spain, just in Portugal they say my correct name. I don’t know why, I don’t think it’s too hard,” Felix said. When asked if the mispronunciation annoys him, Felix said: “Nah! I don’t care.” Felix became the fourth most expensive footballer of all time when Atletico Madrid signed him from Benfica for £113m in 2019, but the youngster struggled for consistent form in the Spanish capital. He had a rocky relationship with fiery Atletico manager Diego Simeone and so it was decided it would suit all parties if he went out on loan. 
Chelsea’s coach, Graham Potter has reacted to loanee, Joao Felix being shown a red card on his Premier League debut against Fulham on Thursday, January 12. 
Felix lasted less than an hour before he was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Fulham’s full-back, Kenny Tete. The match ended 2-1 in favour of the Cottagers. Speaking to reporters after the match, Potter said Joao Felix’s red card is “another hit” to his squad. The coach who appeared visibly exhausted after yet another league defeat, however, insisted that the newcomer was “really good” on his debut. 
Potter said; “It was a forwards tackle, there was no malice in it but I understand why it was a red. It is another blow, the hits keep coming at the moment. He was really good, you could see his quality in the game, so it is doubly disappointing for us. “I think we controlled the game early, won the ball back high, created some opportunities and maybe missed the last pass. We made a couple of mistakes for their goal. Second-half I think we responded well and then the red card changes the game… We’ve got to keep working, there are no other solutions.” 
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website after completing the deal, Felix said; “Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives, so I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge.” The footballer’s exit from Atletico comes three and a half years after a €126m (£112.9m) move from Benfica, which makes him the third most expensive signing in the history of the club.