Football – Griezmann sweeps away doubts and gives hope to Barça

The jewel of his rebirth: with a superb goal to crown the great success of FC Barcelona 4-1 at Villarreal for the 34th day of Liga, Antoine Griezmann silenced the critics and gave hope to Barça, who returned four points behind the leader Real Madrid, 1-0 winner at Bilbao on Sunday.

At the heart of the controversy despite himself, after coming into play in the 90th minute against his former team, Atlético Madrid Tuesday (2-2), Griezmann (29 years) swept away doubts about his strength of resilience this Sunday: his magnificent flat lob on the left foot (45th) has given new colors to Barça, after the goal by Luis Suarez (20th) and the counter camp of Pau Torres (3rd) on which the Frenchman could also have scored, and before the final achievement of Ansu Fati (86th), and puts some suspense in the race for the title in La Liga.

After Real Madrid’s short 1-0 victory in Bilbao thanks to a new penalty from captain Sergio Ramos, the Madrid rival had a seven-point lead before the Catalans’ trip to Villarreal, who therefore had to win to keep an ounce hope to keep their title of champion of Spain.

Griezmann’s jewel

It’s done, and with the way: a trio of attack “MSG” found, A Lionel Messi very accomplice with his two partners of attack on their two goals, and a Barça who raised the head of the water the time of a match, after drowning lately between the mixed results and the locker room bickering.

The proof, with the image of a “Grizi” who jumped in the arms of his captain Messi to celebrate his 9th goal in La Liga this season, all smiles, after the reduction of the score of Villarreal by Gerard Moreno (13th).

“They coordinated in an extraordinary way, we forced their defenders to discover each other. We managed to progress on the sides and to attract people in the axis. It was exactly what we wanted. They made a very good match, they have a lot of qualities. We finished this match satisfied and they too, I’m sure, because we had a great match and everyone enjoyed it, “savored coach Quique Setién at a press conference after- match, Sunday evening.

“It is true that it is hard to bring him in this way, for a player of his level. (…) But you still have the hope that a player like him can do a punctual action that will allow you to win the match, ”justified Quique Setien after the scandal on Tuesday, where he only had three minutes at the end of the match to an attacking world champion of the caliber of Griezmann.

Confirmation this Sunday, with the jewel of Griezmann which followed that of Suarez and sealed the victory of Barça, and this successful result against a Villarreal far from being shy and more than ever candidate for Europe (5th)… A necessary reply not to give up hope in the title race, four points behind the Madrid leader (77 pts), still saved by Sergio Ramos earlier today in San Mamés.

Zidane, “tired”

Real Sociedad, Getafe, and now Bilbao: in these three key matches, the Madrilenians played their cold realism by their indestructible captain Sergio Ramos (34), author of his 10th goal of the season in the Spanish league on Sunday (73), and who takes in his wake the White House towards a 34th Liga title in its history.

“I am tired. It seems that all the matches that we win, it is only thanks to the referees. You have to respect what the players are doing on the field. The referee went to review the action and whistled the penalty because there was a penalty, “said Zidane sharply in a post-match press conference.

For Zinedine Zidane, who insists on repeating that his team “has not won anything yet” and to shell out the number of matches remaining by calling them “finals”, the trip to this San Mames cathedral behind closed doors was the last big poster before a gently sloping end of calendar against Alavés, Grenade, Villarreal and Leganés.

Without Eden Hazard (hit in his right ankle) and Raphaël Varane (preserved after his cervical shock Thursday against Getafe), Real still chained a 7th victory in seven games since the resumption, to continue its march towards the title.

(AFP/NXP)

Published today at 4:27 a.m.–