The Atlético striker accompanies his team and shines in midfield
One of the embers that can be seen in the second week of the World Cup is the superior level that Antoine Griezmann has shown. The Atlético striker guides the French team with his left foot and his vision towards reconfirming the title. He is the premium version of the player in a new position for him, as a midfielder, starting from behind to help his forwards. Against Tunisia, if he plays and with his qualified team, another bright night can be expected for him.
The newspaper L’Equipe dedicated the cover to him on Tuesday under the title ‘Big Grizou’ and whitewashes in detail what the whole world sees. A superlative Griezmann, the brains of the French team.
France broke the championship curse and qualified for the round of 16 with the match against Tunisia to go. And in part it’s due to Griezmann’s emergence as an attacking midfielder, away from final positions, responsible for dividing the game. “You see his pass to Kylian Mbappé (against Denmark, which ended in a goal) and you deduce that he has a superior technical ability, the ability to find improbable passes,” his team-mate Giroud described.
Griezmann has gone through all the states of the elite. A unique figure in Atlético as a goalscorer, Messi’s failed teammate at Barça, decisive in his return to Atlético in more backward positions… Now he is again the protagonist with France.
“He is very generous. He likes to develop plays. He will score less goals, because there are other players in the front, but he is very useful, intelligent. Brings a good balance to the team. I probably ask him for different things, but there is no sacrifice on his part, ”analyzes Didier Deschamps, the French coach, world champion in 1998.
Deschamps has led Dembelé on the right, Giroud in the center and Mbappé on the left. Griezmann connects with them through his vision of the game and his technique. To this he adds his defensive solvency, constant sacrifice to steal or annoy, according to Simeone’s cholista manual.
“I’m not surprised by what he’s doing because I think he’s a player with superior technical quality that allows him to function in all positions. The coach talks to him a lot,” explained Barcelona defender Jules Koundé.
Together with Tchouameni and Rabiot, Griezmann is integrated in the double offensive and defensive facet, without losing its natural quality. “I was impressed with what he did against Denmark,” said Madrid midfielder Tchouameni, who appears to be a fixture in Deschamps’ starting line-up. “I could have put him on the right flank of the attack instead of Ousmane Dembele, but he wouldn’t be the most useful for the team there,” said the French coach.
Griezmann’s work is the epicenter of commentary on the world champion team, beyond Mbappé’s goals. “He covers a lot of space, has the ability to defend and get others to play. He is the Antoine we know, the Antoine who is fit,” said Varane.
The Atlético forward comes with his performance to replace the gap left by the injury Karim Benzema, winner of the Ballon d’Or and who had to support France in preparation for the match. “I am proud of myself, but I am also proud of the whole team,” says Griezmann, the driving force behind a France that flies like a train.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
