Summary
Atletico Madrid underwent seismic changes in the close season but after a rip-roaring warmup campaign spearheaded by teenage hotshot Joao Felix, they look refreshed, more dangerous in attack and ready to mount a serious La Liga title challenge.
Atletico won five out of six of their preseason games, hammering Real Madrid 7-3 and beating Juventus 2-1 with eye-catching displays from 19-year-old Felix, who cost 126 million euros from Benfica as a replacement for Griezmann.
Felix appears to have all the qualities of a center forward and a playmaker rolled into one. He dovetailed superbly with Diego Costa in the demolition of Real, providing two assists and a goal, while scoring two clinical strikes against Juventus.
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