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Tag: Griezmann

  • Griezmann scores as Bosnia-Herzegovina hold France

    Griezmann scores as Bosnia-Herzegovina hold France

     France failed to bounce back from their surprise Euro 2020 elimination as they were held to a 1-1 draw in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday.

    Les Bleus, who went out in the last 16 of the European Championship after a shock penalty kicks shootout loss to Switzerland, fell behind to Edin Dzeko’s 36th-minute strike in Strasbourg.

    But they were quickly back on terms following a fortuitous goal for Antoine Griezmann.

    Didier Deschamps’ side would have been expecting to push on for a win in the second half of the Group D clash to go six points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

    Ukraine had drawn 2-2 with Kazakhstan earlier on Wednesday.

    However, after a deadline-day switch from Sevilla to Chelsea failed to materialise, Jules Kounde was shown a red card for a lunge on Sead Kolasinac.

    This was followed by a VAR check and France had to at the end of the day settle for a point.

    Kylian Mbappe missed the decisive penalty kick against Switzerland at Euro 2020 but went close to getting back on the scoresheet on Wednesday.

    That was when his effort from the tightest of angles crashed behind off the near-post in the 27th minute.

    Miralem Pjanic warmed the gloves of Hugo Lloris before Dezko seized upon a wayward Thomas Lemar pass.

    He drilled a fine 20-yard effort through Presnel Kimpembe’s legs and into the bottom-right corner.

    France were somewhat lucky to restore parity three minutes later.

    Dzeko headed a corner-kick against Griezmann’s back and following a VAR check it was clear Ibrahim Sehic had failed to keep the ball out after a slight touch off Dennis Hadzikadunic.

    Aurelien Tchouameni was sent on for his debut at half-time but France’s plan was thrown into disarray following Kounde’s late tackle on Kolasinac, who had to be replaced by Eldar Civic.

    Bosnia had a couple of chances to steal a famous win, but Smail Prevljak and Pjanic were unable to find the target with their efforts inside the final five minutes.

  • La Liga: Messi, Griezmann score twice as Barca thrash Granada 4-0

    La Liga: Messi, Griezmann score twice as Barca thrash Granada 4-0

    Lionel Messi is back in form and Barcelona are finding their feet after a 4-0 demolition of Granada on Saturday put them within four points of the top of La Liga.

    Messi scored twice to make it four goals in three matches since the turn of the year and his resurgence has coincided with an upturn for the team too, this victory Barca’s third on the bounce.

    It puts them in sight of league leaders Atletico Madrid, even if Diego Simeone’s side now have three games in hand.

    Atletico’s match against Athletic Bilbao earlier on Saturday was postponed due to the snowstorm that has engulfed Spain this weekend.

    Messi’s double, the second a sweetly-struck free-kick, came between two strikes from Antoine Griezmann, who is also enjoying a revival after a disappointing 18 months at Camp Nou.

    Some had wondered if Messi would ever get back to his best following an underwhelming start to the season but his latest contribution makes him the league’s top scorer on 11 goals.

    After attempting to leave Barcelona last summer, the 33-year-old’s recovery always felt dependent on him rediscovering his own motivation and focus.

    But Barca coach Ronald Koeman deserves credit for the rejuvenation of players like Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong, all of whom have improved significantly in recent matches.

    Barcelona’s recovery has a long way to run, with unresolved issues on and off the pitch very likely to resurface before the end of the season.

    Yet Koeman will hope a corner has been turned and at a good time, with the Champions League last 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain to come next month and a large chunk of the league calendar still remaining.

    Barca’s first goal was fortunate, with Roberto Soldado seemingly surprised to have the ball passed at him by Sergio Busquets. Soldado’s lashed clearance saw the ball sliced backwards to Griezmann, who touched and shot past Rui Silva.

    Griezmann was the instigator for the second goal too, the Frenchman driving forward to the edge of the area before transferring inside to Messi. Messi was given the yard he needed to shift onto his left foot and curl home.

    Messi made it three from a similar position, just on the edge of the box, this time the ball was stationary.

    Pedri had been prevented from running into the box and Messi fired the resulting free-kick low, perfectly into the corner.

    Griezmann made it four, firing in a scooped pass from Dembele on the turn. Messi went off with almost half an hour left, his work already done.

    Atletico’s game at home to Athletic Bilbao was called off, with the snowfall in Madrid on Friday the heaviest since 1971.

    Bilbao’s players were unable to land in the city and returned to Bilbao early on Friday evening.

    Seville was among the areas spared the awful weather conditions, with Sevilla able to play against Real Sociedad and win a five-goal thriller 3-2.

    Youssef En-Nesyri grabbed a hat-trick in a frantic match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where four goals were scored in the first 14 minutes before En-Nesyri decided it early in the second half.

    Defeat means Real Sociedad have won only one of their last six matches. They drop to fifth in La Liga, level on points with Sevilla.

  • Griezmann gives damning assessment of Barcelona after Juventus hammering

    Griezmann gives damning assessment of Barcelona after Juventus hammering

    Barcelona “didn’t turn up” against Juventus, according to Antoine Griezmann, who has admitted that the team lacked desire and attitude in the Group G showdown.

    Juve claimed an impressive 3-0 victory at Camp Nou in the Champions League on Tuesday night as Barca surrendered their 100 per cent record in meek fashion.

    With both sides already safely through to the knockout stages, the Blaugrana only needed a point to secure top spot in the group, but fell behind after just 13 minutes when Ronaldo stepped up to score a penalty after being fouled by Ronald Araujo in the box.

    Juve doubled their advantage seven minutes later, with Weston McKennie rising to meet Juan Cuadrado’s pinpoint cross with a flying volley which beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen all ends up in the Barca net.

    All the pre-match talk centred around the renewal of hostilities between multiple Ballon d’Or winners Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who hadn’t played against each other since the former’s move to the Allianz Stadium from Real Madrid in 2018.

    Ronaldo put his long-time rival in the shade by converting another penalty early in the second half, with Messi ultimately enduring a night to forget after failing to score with his seven shots on goal.

    Griezmann, who led the line for Barca and came closest to scoring for Koeman’s team when he headed a Messi free-kick onto the crossbar shortly after Ronaldo’s second goal, was in no mood to offer any excuses for the defeat after the final whistle.

    The Frenchman conceded that the hosts only started playing once the game had slipped away from them, before expressing a desire to move on quickly ahead of a La Liga clash against Levante on Sunday.

    “We didn’t turn up,” Griezmann told reporters post-match. “In the first half, they got the better of us. It was a lack of everything: of desire, of attitude, willingness to run, all of it was bad.

    “In the second half, there was already a three-goal advantage and it was easier for us but we had a bad day and a bad game.

    “Who else can be blamed if we are the ones who play? We have to work on this and want to improve, want to play, and only in this way are we going to move forward.

    “We are going to try to put the excuses to the side. The only way is to put everything aside, through work and nothing else. We have given a very bad account of ourselves, for the fans.”

    Juve qualified for the round of 16 as Group G winners after outscoring Barca 3-2 during their two meetings, and can thusly look forward to a favourable draw as they continue to chase down a first European Cup triumph since 1996.

    The Blaugrana will have to face off against one of the other pool winners in the next stage, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool all waiting in the wings.

  • ‘Messi’s attitude towards Griezmann is deplorable’ – Eric Olhats

    ‘Messi’s attitude towards Griezmann is deplorable’ – Eric Olhats

    Lionel Messi’s attitude towards Barcelona team-mate Antoine Griezmann has been “deplorable”, claims the French forward’s former advisor Eric Olhats, with an Argentine superstar accused of being a bad influence off the pitch at Camp Nou.

    A World Cup-winning striker was added to the talent pool in Catalunya during the summer of 2019.

    With Barca having been heavily linked with Griezmann for some time, a long-running saga was finally brought to a close when a big-money deal was pushed through with Atletico Madrid.

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    The France international has struggled to make the desired impact with the Blaugrana, but Olhats says that is not down to a lack of effort from the 29-year-old.

    For him, certain high-profile figures have made life more difficult for Griezmann than it needed to be, with Messi – who pushed for a move away from Barca in the last transfer window – considered to hold too much power at the club.

    Olhats told France Football: “Antoine arrived in a struggling club where Messi has a view on everything.

    “He’s at the same time emperor and monarch, and he didn’t see Antoine’s arrival with a good eye.

    “His attitude has been deplorable, he made him feel that. I’ve always heard Antoine say there’s no problem with Messi, but never the other way around.

    “In my eyes, Messi said he wanted to leave to see what role he still had as a decision-making player, regarding the players who arrived and those who left, but he eventually stayed. Classic Messi! As good on the pitch as he is bad off it

    “Barcelona has been suffering for a while. There was a cancer in that club, and it obviously leaves some marks.”

    Griezmann managed only 15 goals for Barcelona in his debut campaign, and has only two to his name this term.

    Questions are once again being asked of his long-term future, but Olharts says struggles for consistency are down to issues outside of the Frenchman’s control.

    He added: “It’s the club that’s sick, not him.

    “Last year, when Antoine arrived, Messi didn’t talk to him, didn’t pass him the ball. He created a real trauma for a more than negative adaptation.

    “That clearly left its mark. It was clear and visible. Add to that the president stepping down, the club conceding eight against Bayern and three different managers, the conditions aren’t good.”

    While conceding that Griezmann has found the going tough at Camp Nou, Olharts claims to be “very confident” that a seasoned performer will turn things around and prove his worth to those who continue to write him off.

  • Messi reminds Griezmann how to play football for Barcelona

    Messi reminds Griezmann how to play football for Barcelona

    Bixente Lizarazu has been just as baffled as everyone else by Antoine Griezmann’s recent struggles in front of goal.

    The forward never looked a good fit for Barcelona’s favoured three-man attack but we had gone beyond that point.

    Griezmann’s problems were no longer just tactical. As Lizarazu told Telefoot last month, “He no longer knows how to play football with the Barca jersey.”

    It wasn’t quite that bad, of course. He hadn’t quite forgotten how to play football; more forgotten how to finish.

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    It certainly felt that way during the first half of Saturday’s Liga clash with Betis at Camp Nou.

    Griezmann had already missed three presentable chances – criminally squandering an outrageous back-heel assist from Pedri in the process – when Barca were awarded a penalty.

    With Lionel Messi on the bench, Griezmann was presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to score his first goal of the season.

    The Argentine was willing his team-mate on from the stands but the Frenchman’s weak spot-kick was easily pushed away by Claudio Bravo in the Betis goal.

    What was left of Griezmann’s confidence appeared to evaporate before our eyes, his disappointment compounded by the fact that Antonio Sanabria cancelled out Ousmane Dembele’s fantastic opener right on the stroke of half-time.

    Beforehand, Messi had been deemed in need of a rest. Ronaldo Koeman’s assistant coach Alfred Schreuder simply stated, “He’s just not fresh.”

    It was clear at the break that the captain was required, though, and not just to lift Griezmann, but to end Barca’s dismal run of four games without a win in La Liga.

    Within four minutes of his introduction in place of the injured Ansu Fati, Messi had not only helped restore Barca’s lead, but maybe also Griezmann’s confidence.

    He did so without touching the ball.

    Jordi Alba whipped over a low cross from the left but rather than try to lift the ball over the onrushing Bravo, Messi simply let it run through his legs, leaving Griezmann with an open goal.

    Even the forlorn Frenchman wasn’t going to miss from 12 yards out and with nobody guarding the net. It was a magical, uplifting, game-changing moment.

    Messi scored his fifth penalty of the season to extend Barca’s lead and even though Loren Moron pulled one back for Betis, the Barca skipper smashed home his first goal from open play this season to make it 4-2 to the hosts.

    It was Sergi Roberto who put the No.10 through to score and it was Sergi Roberto who teed up Pedri for the game’s final goal.

    The final scoreline was arguably a fair reflection of the game. Barca hadn’t just bossed the game in the second half; they had dominated the first half too.

    It was just their finishing – or perhaps more accurately, Griezmann’s finishing – that had let them down.

    His goal should help him recover some of his lost self-belief, then. But he’ll be the first to acknowledge that it wouldn’t have happened without Messi on the pitch.

    Whether Griezmann can really thrive in this Barca attack remains very much open to debate.

    For so long, he really has looked like a player who’s forgotten how to play football in a Barcelona shirt.

    Thankfully, Messi provided a timely reminder on Saturday.