Griezmann sets an example for Barça's youngsters

Antoine Griezmann played his 100th match in Barcelona colours in Sunday's clash against Real Sociedad, kicking off his third season at Camp Nou with a positive performance. Cutting in from the right hand side, he demonstrated excellent athleticism throughout the encounter and showed a good understanding with his team mates, helping to connect Barça's midfield to the front line throughout the match.

Throughout the match, Griezmann demonstrated his quality and his impressive physical capacity. He looked fresh and fit, and was not suffering from the hangover of playing so many games in the 2020-21 campaign.

Last season, Griezmann competed in 68 official matches: 51 for Barça and 17 for the French national team. Only Pedri (73), Bruno Fernandes (72) and Mason Mount (69) featured in more games. These numbers are extremely rare for someone of Griezmann's age, with the French international being the only 30-year old to reach this number of appearances last season. He has started this season in a similar fashion, demonstrating an incredible physical capacity in Sunday's victory against La Real.

His heat map for the match demonstrated how much running he had done up and down the right flank. Not only did get chalk on his boots throughout the match, but he also looked to find space to receive cross-field balls and sought to burst into more central areas when the moment was right. He was even participating in counter attacks in the final minutes of the match, with the Camp Nou crowd appreciating his effort and work rate.

Positive

The attitude of a senior player like Griezmann was a clear example of what Koeman wants from his side, with the younger players in the dressing room taking note. Perhaps unexpectedly from a world champion of his age, Griezmann was constantly helping out his full back throughout the game: first Sergiño Dest, and then, to a greater degree, his replacement Emerson Royal.

His situation has completely changed in the last couple of weeks. Now, it is impossible to contemplate Barça without Griezmann. His ability to connect with his team mates and his positive attitude are highly valued in the dressing room and are sure to be important this season.