The long awaited liberation of Antoine Griezmann, maybe
The Frenchman scored two against Granada and may be finally about to come good for Barca
If Antoine Griezmann has been questioned so far, it’s because he deserved to be. His cost, 120 million plus the fine, was enormous, the difference between Atletico and Barca’s game is huge, and his role is different too. But for a player of his calibre, instant adaptation is needed and expected. And he has not exploded, until perhaps now.
There are various caveats. You can’t criticise him in terms of attitude and sacrifice. His defensive work game after game is something to highlight and his distance run is always one of the highest. But its normal the people want more from him. More presence in the box, more association with Messi and more ‘tangibles’.
For a while Martin Braithwaite had the starting spot ahead of him. Both Dembele and Pedri moved ahead in the pecking order too. But after a good game against Bilbao, Koeman gave him another start against Granada and he hit two. “They weren’t going in for me and now they are, I hope to continue like this,” said Griezmann with a smile.
It’s been a year and a half since he got two goals and an assist, doing so in his second game for Barca, a 5-2 win over Betis. It’s also the third brace he’s scored for Barca, the other came against Ibiza in the Copa del Rey. Is this the turning point? Let’s hope so. On Wednesday he has another chance to show it, against Real Sociedad.
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