Antoine Griezmann the main threat for Atletico against Barcelona
Tuesday 5 April 2016 20:29, UK
Could Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann inflict more pain on Barcelona after their Clasico defeat? Ahead of Tuesday's Champions League showdown at the Nou Camp, we look at Diego Simeone's danger man with the help of Guillem Balague…
Barcelona had not tasted defeat since October but Luis Enrique was in no mood to dwell on Saturday's Clasico in his post-match press conference at the Nou Camp. "For me, this game no longer exists," he said of the 2-1 loss. "We have to stand up and think about the Champions League."
The Catalan's powers of recovery will be tested by Real Madrid's neighbours Atletico on Tuesday evening. Barca have edged five of the previous six meetings between the two sides by a single goal, but their last Champions League encounter was a different story, with Atletico claiming a 2-1 aggregate win at the same stage of the competition.
Barcelona will be desperate to avoid a repeat of that scenario as they bid to become the first side to retain the Champions League, but it's rarely straightforward against Atletico. Diego Simeone's side are a formidable proposition in all departments, and their 5-1 thrashing of Real Betis on Saturday highlighted the particular threat posed by Antoine Griezmann.
The French forward was still a Real Sociedad player when these sides met in the Champions League in April 2014, but it is difficult to imagine them without him now. "He is the danger man," says Spanish football expert Guillem Balague. "There is a lot of trust in Griezmann at Atletico. His goals have won them a lot of points and he will be absolutely crucial against Barcelona."
Griezmann's speed, directness and predatory finishing instincts have proved devastatingly effective at the tip of Atletico's attack since his £24m arrival from Sociedad last summer, and his brace against Betis on Saturday took him to seven goals in his last seven games. He is now on 27 for the season in total - two more than he scored in the whole of his first campaign at the Vicente Calderon.
In La Liga, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar have scored more goals than Griezmann since the start of the last campaign, and his shot conversion rate of 29 per cent this season is second only to Karim Benzema among his Barcelona and Real Madrid counterparts.
The numbers are all the more impressive considering how he initially struggled to adapt to Simeone's full-throttle approach.
"He started his Atletico Madrid career with difficulties because Simeone's demands are very high and physically his body didn't give him what was required," Balague said.
"Without the ball, he had to work as hard as anybody. Sometimes it seems like a shame to see him wide right or wide left but it is what you have to do at Atletico Madrid, it doesn't matter how good you are."
Griezmann only scored once in his first 12 games for Atletico and was frequently used as a substitute in the first half last season, but his gradual adaption was down to Simeone's careful man-management, according to Balague.
"When he wasn't reaching the level that was required, Simeone just kept giving him confidence," Balague said. "Now that he has that level that is required, Simeone just keeps pushing him. There is no rest for the wicked there, and Griezmann has accepted the challenge absolutely.
"This season Simeone has asked him to take a step forward, demand more of himself both physically and mentally and to lead the team. So far, so good. He is a very focused individual but he is a nice guy and everybody likes him. That also helps because he has gained the authority to have a free role with the ball."
Simeone demands relentless work-rate on and off the ball from his players, and the statistics illustrate how Griezmann has succeeded in increasing his defensive output at the same time as becoming even more potent in attack.
Those attributes will be invaluable in the Nou Camp, where Griezmann's next challenge awaits.
"I said that at the end of this season we would see him as one of the top five players in the world," Balague added. "He's got to continue at it but he's certainly got the ambition to be the best he can be.
"Against Barcelona, there will be one moment in the game when he has the chance. What makes the difference between being a potential top-five player and actually being a top-five player is whether he can convert that chance."
Luis Enrique and Barcelona will be out to prove El Clasico was just a blip. Griezmann and Atletico's task is to turn it into something more serious.
