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Koke: If Felix listens to boss & teammates, he'll be player he's expected to be

  /  autty

Koke has insisted that Joao Felix can live up to the lofty expectations at Atletico Madrid if he listens to the right people.

The 20-year-old came on as a second-half substitute against Villarreal, scoring the third in a 3-1 win.

"Everyone can see what is expected of Joao, he's a young boy and he has lots of room for improvement," Koke said after the match.

"Many great players have had to adapt to Atletico and it's not easy, he's young.

"If he listens to the boss and his teammates, he will be the player that everyone wants to see.

"He's not been lucky with injuries, but I'm sure that, in the future, we'll see the Joao we want to see."

That's now two wins on the bounce for Atletico, who had been heavily criticised in recent months for their below-par performances.

"It's normal, the demand at Atletico is maximum," Koke said.

"It's normal that there is this time of transition.

"We've had back luck with injuries this season, I'd like to see other teams [go through] what has happened to us.

"When people are fit, it's key for us.

"The more first team players there are [that are fit], the higher the level and more competition.

"The results [against Liverpool and Villarreal] give us a point of reflection other than winning 3-1 or 1-0."

The win over Villarreal was a good way to end the week having already beaten Liverpool in the Champions League.

"We're happy, it's been a tough week with very demanding games," Koke said.

"We got a point at Valencia, a good result against Liverpool and this is the path we have to follow.

"We always talk about lots of changes and bit by bit we're seeing the Atletico of years gone by, this is the Atletico that the fans want to see."