Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-0 on Saturday, and there’s been huge praise across the Spanish media for the club’s performance, with some players picked out for their roles in the victory.
The two perhaps picked out the most have been Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, with the Portuguese pair quickly settling in and showing what they can contribute for the current season.
Cancelo is on loan from Manchester City, with Felix arriving on the same basis from Atletico Madrid, and AS report they have both now found the ‘perfect habitat’ to succeed, away from their troubles elsewhere.
Pep Guardiola had clearly decided he didn’t want Cancelo to be part of his Manchester City squad, and the Spanish media take that as a win for Barcelona.
One of the pluses is that Cancelo is said to have picked a battling quality from his experience in Premier League football.
AS say Cancelo has ‘proved to be a prodigy’ for Barca, despite being not far from his 30th birthday.
Monday’s edition of Catalan newspaper Sport has a headline saying ‘The Joaos elevate Xavi’s Barca’, and then an article celebrating the pair.
Specifically on Cancelo, Sport say: ‘The City player showed that he is one of the full-backs with the most influence on the game in the world.’
Whether this means Barcelona will make a move a move to sign him permanently remains to be seen, and likely depends more on their finances than his performances.
