For Simeone there is no more fundamental piece for his board than Antoine Griezmann, his football masterpiece. He was in his first stage, since he arrived in 2014 to 2018, and now, since he returned, in September. Because no one like the French interprets his blackboard, generous in waste, by and for his colleagues always… But there is a mole. An alarming mole. Griezmann has always been a footballer of streaks, of alternating weeks and weeks scoring with long droughts. In his first stage as a rojiblanco that was how it was. The accentuated valley periods ended with a goal that tore off the stopper and brought with it another seven (in five days), another 13 (in three months). Now, since January, he has been without a goal.
Because in January, day 6, he scored the last, against Rayo Majadahonda, just after returning from his injury in the League derby against Madrid, December 12. And he played 19 ‘in that return, he scored and … he relapsed from his injury. A relapse that remained as a lament in the mouth of Cholo for several weeks. He lost his best soccer player and, furthermore, he lost him for much longer than expected. Because at first it was going to be for a month, his return scheduled for the League match at the Camp Nou, February 6, but it was still delayed a fortnight more. ten games away. In his first time at Atlético he only missed one game, against Betis, due to discomfort. One game and already due to physical ailments.
From the mixture with João to the drought
Griezmann was ready for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against United but only played 14 minutes. Atlético was already in flight, they had already lost to Levante, tied against the English, but deserved to win, the fundamental piece of Cholo Héctor Herrera’s slate. He has played nine games since his return from injury. Nine games dry. That his performance, his writing, has been impeccable, his mix with João Félix, to which he has given flight (and lives his best moment at Atlético). The captain, Koke, acknowledged this in an interview with AS a week ago (“Now he is at a great level. Antoine helps him a lot. He is giving him a lot playing together upstairs”). But in addition to that, for what is fundamental, he was also signed for his goals. And these are not coming.
The chasm is deep. The contrast between his streaks as the years go by are more profound. Actually, there has only been one striker, from October to November (when he scored against Levante, Valencia and Cádiz, against Liverpool and Milan in the Champions League), but his most sprinkled scoring contribution, far from those figures of the first Griezmann (six goals, two assists). If his last ball to the net was that of Majadahonda in the Copa del Rey, in the League it is more dramatic, the one he scored against Cádiz, November 28, say two months and 14 days. And that abyss, for Cholo’s board, is abyssal when talking about Griezmann.