Joao Felix put on an absolute footballing clinic for Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.Los Rojiblancos were playing for their future in the Champions League, but couldn't possibly have faced a more difficult task as they welcomed the holders to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.The only consolation was that Bayern Munich arrived in the Spanish capital with a weakened XI, having already qualified for the Round of 16 and prompting Hansi Flick to rotate his squad.

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich

And that almost allowed Atletico to secure a crucial three points that would have boosted their chances of joining the Bavarians in the second round but alas, it wasn't to be.

That's because, despite having led the game for more than 45 minutes, Diego Simeone's men were dealt late heartbreak as Thomas Muller rescued a point for Bayern with a penalty off the bench.

But if there was one area you couldn't criticise Atletico as they were forced to settle for a point it was the performance of their record-signing Felix, who arrived at the club for €113 million in 2019.

Joao Felix's rise

It was a serious roll of the dice by Atletico at the time and truth be told, the former Benfica man struggled during his first season with only nine goals and rumours of a potential Portugal return.

However, credit to Atletico for doing what so few clubs have the patience for in the modern game: allowing the player to adapt and thrive.

Well, they've been rewarded for doing exactly that because Felix has looked like a completely different player this season and with eight strikes, has almost matched his 2019/20 tally already.

Felix's stunning highlights

Felix was the man who had fired Atletico into the lead with a clinical first-half strike on 26 minutes, but there was much more to his performance than a goal.

In fact, the Portugal international produced so many inspired moments of skill against the Champions League holders that montages of his display were emerging as early as half-time.

However, the magic from Felix wasn't reserved for the opening 45 minutes and you can check out the full extent of his masterclass, courtesy of Twitter user @BnsComps, down below:

Felix's star is rising

It's no wonder Felix has been called the 'New Ronaldo' so many times in his career.

Based on raw talent alone, there can be no denying that he's one of the ablest younger players in the sport and he's starting to produce the statistics to back it up at Europe's highest level.

You really get the feeling that Felix could be embarking on a season equivalent to his 20-goal breakout year with Benfica, only in much tougher competitions such as the Champions League.

And while Atletico might be huffing and puffing in Europe's premier tournament, there's a real opportunity for La Liga glory with the club unbeaten and their traditional rivals struggling.

Besides, Felix's early-season form alone has been deserving of silverware.