Barcelona need the best from their players if they are to turn their situation around in LaLiga Santander, having already secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. One of the players they will be looking to is Antoine Griezmann.
The French forward is one of the most-discussed players in the squad, particularly after his sit-down interview with Jorge Valdano, but he responded on Wednesday night in the perfect way, scoring a goal after coming off the bench to wrap up a 4-0 win for Barcelona against Dynamo Kiev.
Ronald Koeman was without a series of injured players, with Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto the latest to be ruled out of action, while Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong did not travel with the squad so that they could have some much-needed rest. As such, even though it only ended up being a cameo appearance for Griezmann, the fact that he scored - and marked it with a dancing celebration - could be a sign of things starting to change for the better.
The truth is that, since his 120 million euro move from Atletico Madrid, the real Griezmann has only appeared in a few matches. He became one of the best players in the world in the Spanish capital, scoring 133 goals and providing 50 assists in his five seasons at the club. However, since he joined Barcelona in the summer of 2019, there has been more talk about his lack of understanding with teammates, namely Lionel Messi, and the way in which he hasn't quite adapted to Barcelona's style of play.
During the aforementioned interview with Valdano, Griezmann admitted that he understood the criticism he has faced, made clear that he has a good relationship with Messi, and stressed that the best version of himself will be seen on the pitch from now on. The 29-year-old has a great opportunity to truly show Barcelona what he can do, especially against the backdrop of Messi potentially leaving next summer and Ansu Fati being out for the next four months with a knee injury.
Griezmann has scored one goal in the Champions League and two in LaLiga Santander so far this season, which are numbers that are well below what we have come to expect from the 2018 World Cup winner. There are no excuses for a player of his calibre. Now, Griezmann's next few games could go some way to determining his future at the Camp Nou.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com