Diego Simeone catching strays! Barcelona star Joao Felix says Atletico Madrid players are ‘lying’ if they claim to prefer defensive football under Argentine

Felix endured an inconsistent spell at Atletico after making a big money move from Benfica in 2019. The Portuguese international never really settled in the Spanish capital, and has joined the Catalan club on loan this season.

In an interview for ESPN, Felix voiced his displeasure with Simeone's setup: "For sure [I prefer] this style [at Barcelona] - me and every player. If you ask every player, if you ask the players from Atletico, too, they would prefer to play more time on the attack, for sure. If they don't answer that, they are lying. Of course every player wants to attack, wants to have the ball and to score goals."

Felix also admitted he is looking forward to the fixture: "It's a special game for me. Atletico was my home for the last four years, so of course I [left] with some good moments there. It's always special to play against my old teammates. It will be good to see them again and to see how we play against them."

Felix has endured a mixed start to life in Catalunya. After scoring in his first two starts, he went 13 contests without finding the net. The Blaugrana, meanwhile, have struggled for form, and could end the weekend seven points off the top of the table if results don't go their way.

The attacking midfielder will face off against his own team on Sunday, in a crucial fixture in the scope of the La Liga title race. A win would proper the Balugrana back among the favourties, while a loss could see them slip out of contention early.