Antoine Griezmann has had to overcome a number of hurdles at Euro 2016 but he stepped up when France needed him as they beat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in Lyon. With the Euro 2016 hosts facing a possible quarter-final against England, can he now make the tournament his own?
Griezmann has not had it easy this summer. The heartache of his missed penalty in Atletico's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid was only two weeks old when France started Euro 2016, and he was dropped along with Paul Pogba after a subdued display in the tournament opener against Romania.
His late header helped France beat Albania after he came on as a substitute in their second group game, but he struggled again when he returned to the starting line-up against Switzerland. French newspaper L'Equipe gave him a rating of 4/10 as they were held to a goalless draw. It summed up the entire nation's frustration.
The Switzerland game was Griezmann's 63rd appearance since August. A long, arduous season appeared to have taken its toll on a player who had been tipped to shine after 32 goals at club level, and the early indications were not encouraging at the Stade de Lyon on Sunday, where his weak challenge allowed Stephen Ward to cross for the Republic of Ireland's penalty.
The circumstances made Griezmann's match-winning recovery all the more impressive. The Atletico forward's equaliser came in the shape of a bullet header from Bacary Sagna's cross early in the second-half, and the turnaround was complete when he collected Olivier Giroud's flick and finished unerringly past Darren Randolph three minutes later.
Griezmann rises above James McCarthy to head home France's opener
Even in the first half, with France labouring under the weight of expectation, Griezmann had looked like the only player capable of changing their fortunes. He sent a header over from a Pogba cross shortly after Robbie Brady's opener, and a few minutes later his brilliant diagonal cross for Giroud required a desperate clearing header from Shane Duffy.
Griezmann tested Randolph twice more before the break and had one close-range effort blocked in stoppage time, but France went down the tunnel knowing drastic improvement was required. Didier Deschamps needed one of his stars to step up and take responsibility. Griezmann found the resources to answer the call.
His influence was total. Kingsley Coman's introduction added pace and width on the right-hand side, and Griezmann found himself playing closer to Ireland's goal after the break. He took up menacing positions across the front line, and he constantly demanded the ball, with only Pogba having more touches across the 90 minutes (88).
Diego Simeone - who describes Griezmann as "one of the best three players in the world" - has transformed Griezmann into a devastatingly effective central striker at Atletico, and those instincts were certainly evident at the Stade de Lyon. He had more shots (eight) than Ireland managed between them despite not playing as France's No 9, and the goals showed the breadth of his talent.
Griezmann has now scored three times in four appearances for France
The first, like his vital strike against Albania, demonstrated his remarkable aerial ability, and the second showed his predatory instincts in the penalty area. Griezmann's low finish took a slight deflection as it went into the net, but it was perfectly placed into the bottom corner and the composure was impressive.
Griezmann contributed without the ball, too. Simeone demands defensive dedication from the 25-year-old at Atletico, and he showed it against Ireland, with no player on either side making more tackles (five). He was able to use his searing pace to get Duffy sent off as Ireland tired in the closing stages, and he came close to completing a hat-trick in the stoppage time.
Griezmann celebrates with Andre-Pierre Gignac and Paul Pogba
In the end, that missed opportunity was a mere afterthought. Griezmann had rescued France and ignited their Euro campaign. He is now the first French player to score three goals at a European Championship since Zinedine Zidane in 2004, and this was compelling evidence to suggest he has more to offer.
Griezmann has put the pain of the Champions League final behind him, and France's newest superstar could yet finish the season on a high. If England can see off Iceland on Monday night, Grizou will be the man to stop in the quarter-finals.
0 comments:
Post a Comment