Barcelona took on Royal Antwerp in their opening Champions League clash this evening and wasted no time establishing dominance in Group H with a stunning 5-0 victory.
New Barcelona signing Joao Felix was at the heart of the show for the Catalans, scoring twice and assisting once in another excellent display following his season-long loan from Atletico Madrid.
The Portuguese attacker opened the scoring in the 11th minute, taking the ball inside the box after some lovely interplay before spearing a shot beyond a hapless Jean Butez.
Felix continued to look immense, coming in from the left side to combine with the team before finding excellent positions in the box.
The former Benfica starlet was soon at it again. Frenkie de Jong slipped him a fine ball as he galloped into the Antwerp box before chopping back and crossing for Robert Lewandowski to finish with aplomb.
The goal was Lewnadowski’s 100th goal in the Champions League, making him the first player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to hit that milestone.
Felix was still looking dangerous and completed his brace in the second half, meeting Raphinha’s cross at the back post to make it five before coming off.
It was another excellent showing from the 23-year-old, who also opened the scoring in Barca’s last match against Real Betis in another 5-0 victory.
The comprehensive win allows Barca to move to the top of their group despite FC Porto’s win over Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Felix will be excited about the incredible start he has made with the Catalan club after angling for a move to join them all summer.
He will hope his performances can finally attract a permanent move away from Atletico.
The La Liga champions may be unable to afford his services due to their crumbling finances that had them scrambling to register only his salary.
