Who would have thought last June that Antoine Griezmann would be so essential to the French team's game? He had been worn out and was a shadow of his former self to the point where, even though it was out of the question to leave him on the bench, his role could only be that of a substitute, finishing off matches. Aside from an injury, the result of a tackle by Dani Carvajal in an eterno derbi in La Liga, COVID did not spare the Colchonero, who went to New York with Koke Resurrección and returned with a positive test in his suitcase.
The return of Karim Benzema just before the Euro did not do 'Grizou' any favours. His position on the field was less suitable for him and the lack of reference points largely contributed to the elimination in the round of 16, in addition to tensions within the group, with the downgrading of Olivier Giroud and the place taken by Kylian Mbappe.
His start to the season was marked by a clause out of nowhere in his loan deal from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid limiting his appearance time. The game deployed by the Rojiblancos, despite all the efforts of the Mâconnais, did not convince anyone.
Platini + Zidane
And then Benzema's body started to creak. The simple muscular overuse turned into a forfeit and a tactical reconfiguration. The recent good performances of the Mbappé-Giroud tandem, an unlikely turn of events when the two men were at odds during the Euro, convinced Didier Deschamps to take advantage of Griezmann's volume of play to rebuild his system. The 3-man defence, which never convinced, is over. The return of the four-man defence has offered more stability, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot, who has also returned to favour, bringing technical quality and projection. The whole team looks good but lacks the link between the midfield and the attacking trident. And who else than Griezmann?
It was a very good opening game for the Colchonero against Australia, leaving no doubt that this would be his team, leaving the solo role to Mbappé. Even if he has not yet scored at this World Cup, he is no less decisive. He has made three assists, two of which were against England, and his influence on the game is reflected in the numbers. His ability to defend, to make others play and to understand the meaning of the game is the keystone of this team.
And what is often castigated when he wears the Rojiblanco shirt becomes admired with the blue shirt. In World Cup knockout matches, Griezmann has been involved in 14 goals, either as a scorer or as an assistant. By way of comparison, you have to add Michel Platini (5+1) and Zinedine Zidane (7+1) to equal him! And that's without forgetting that at Euro 2016, his record was 5+2.
Put in the best conditions, no matter what his position, Griezmann always makes the difference. The mark of a great who should be considered as such, right at the top of the French footballing pantheon.
