Time is now for Atletico’s Joao Felix to win the Champions League

The Champions League is loaded with superstars, and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix needs to seize the moment over the next two weeks.

All eyes may be on Spanish giants Barcelona and Lionel Messi, but rivals Atletico Madrid and their young superstar Joao Felix aren’t going away without a fight.

This year’s tournament, given the one-and-done format, is ripe for an upset and Diego Simeone’s side remains in contention ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal contest against RB Leipzig.

“We have a great squad and a wonderful coach, although I do think Joao Felix can be the star in Lisbon,” Atleti president Enrique Cerezo told Spanish sports daily AS. “He is in his environment, in his home country, in his old stadium and he’ll give it everything in these games.”

Joao Felix can prove Diego Simeone right in Lisbon

Although Felix is just 20 years old, the striker has been considered a budding prospect since coming over to Atletico Madrid last year from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. The largely unproven starlet could impact the game in a very big way should he power Atleti to their first-ever Champions League.

Simeone has been patient with Felix this season. The forward scored just six goals in 27 La Liga matches. He’s tallied just twice in five matches in the current Champions League campaign. That means Felix will need to up his game against RB Leipzig and find the back of the net more often.

If being inconsistent is kryptonite for a forward, injuries don’t help either. That’s been the story so far for Felix, who said he wants to emulate Antoine Griezmann. The French striker, who played for Atleti, thrived under Simeone before being sold off to Barca in 2019.

“If I can do what Griezmann has done or improve it, it will be fine because he has made history in this club,” Felix told Marca. “He has done it very well, he has grown a lot with El Cholo [Simeone], and if I do it the same, better for me.”

While everyone focuses on Messi and Bayern Munich superstar and Champions League top scorer Robert Lewandowski, Felix could be the player who fuels his team to the trophy. He’d be emulating his countryman, the great Cristiano Ronaldo, who has captured five Champions League titles.

“I’m adapting to Spain, doing my football,” Felix added. “I’m … always thinking of improving.”

Atleti is a sleeper to some, but this is a club that has had some European success in recent memory. Simeone guided the side to two Champions League finals, losing them both. If Atleti can hit their stride at the right time, it would be a fairytale ending for Felix as he tries to add titles to the hype.