Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen - 3 Reasons Why Atleti salvaged a hard-fought victory | UEFA Champions League 2019/20

Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen: Group D - UEFA Champions League
Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen: Group D - UEFA Champions League

#2 Atleti felt Joao Felix's absence

Club Atletico de Madrid v Valencia CF - La Liga
Club Atletico de Madrid v Valencia CF - La Liga

Teenage sensation Joao Felix was missing for the game owing to an ankle injury he picked up against Valencia in the weekend and Atletico looked toothless up front in his absence.

Diego Costa spearheaded the attack alongside Angel Correa but the pair failed to make an impact as Leverkusen contained them for large parts of the game.

Felix joined Atleti this summer for a record-breaking fee believed to be in the region of €123 million and the youngster has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting young players in world football.

Atleti lacked inspiration upfront and needed an Alvaro Morata goal late in the second half to open the scoring. In recent weeks, Felix has been one of the standout performers for the Rojiblancos and his absence was apparent as Leverkusen nearly left the Spanish capital with a point.

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