The second round of the UEFA Champions League group stage kicked off yesterday, but FC Barcelona will play their match today.
However, the pre-match activities have already begun as the Catalan team has already reached Porto, and one of the recent additions to the Barcelona squad, Joao Felix, has spoken to the media about different aspects of the upcoming match and Barcelona in general.
Joining and adapting at Barcelona
Joao Felix’s press conference started with his personal opinion on how he found Barcelona to be different from other clubs he has played with. To this, he responded:
“It’s a big club, everyone knows their way of playing, and I have adapted very well, but the most difficult part is to stay the same.”
Felix has been starting almost every Barcelona game since he joined the Catalan club, and his performances have justified his inclusion in the XI. However, he was ready even for a substitute role if Xavi wanted him on the bench:
“I am just one more player in the squad and I am prepared. If the coach believes I should be a substitute, I must take it in the best way. I am ready.”
Felix has only recently arrived at Barcelona but has adapted rather quickly to his new club. He compared his time at Atletico to his experience at Barcelona:
“As I have said several times, the difference between Barça and Atlético can be seen in everything, in the team, the club… you can see Barça’s way of playing compared to Atlético’s, which doesn’t mean it’s bad, but I adapt better to Barça’s way of playing. Now I am happy, very familiar as well, and that’s the most important thing.”
He was also asked about the one player who has surprised him the most at Barcelona, and Felix identified Frenkie de Jong as the one.
“Frenkie, I already knew him from TV, but up close you have another perspective of his game and control. He understands the game.”
Match against Porto
Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix would be unique for Xavi in this match as they are both from Portugal and have experience of playing in the Portuguese league. Felix also commented on the match in the following words:
“I think it’s worse for them to come from a loss against Benfica because they will have more desire to win and give their best, and at Do Drago, the matches are always complicated, but we are prepared for that.”
Felix was not too excited to be scoring a goal in his native country and was taking this game as any other:
“My dream is to score in every match, wherever it is. It might be special because it’s a Portuguese team, but it’s just another match that we will try to win.”
Lastly, Felix also pondered on the scenario of Porto playing with a tight defense:
“Playing against five defenders is complicated, and it’s difficult to break through and create chances, but whatever they choose, we will play our football and try to do it well.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
