2024-03-13 06:00:00
Present Monday and Tuesday in training, always with his usual smile, Antoine Griezmann is back from injury at the best of times.
The French striker from Atlético Madrid suffered a sprained right ankle in the first leg in Italy (1-0 for Inter), but will be there this Wednesday to help his team return to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, after elimination in the group stage last year.
In 2022, for its last quarter, Atlético came close to eliminating Manchester City (1-0, 0-0) in a similar situation, with a narrow victory for the English in the first leg.
Inter irresistible in 2024
The challenge will perhaps be even greater on Wednesday against Inter, whose narrow victory at the Giuseppe Meazza did not really reflect their domination, neither over the match, nor over their championship.
The European vice-champions, leaders of Serie A with 16 points ahead of their rival AC Milan, remain on a series of thirteen consecutive victories and have only experienced two defeats in all competitions since their lost final against Manchester City in June 2023.
Grizou also in great shape
But Atlético, always uncompromising at home, showed this season that it was capable of moving mountains thanks to the magic of its number 7, irresistible in the game since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Latest summit to date? Real Madrid, conquered twice in La Liga (3-1) and in the Copa del Rey in overtime (4-2) thanks to a sublime goal from… Griezmann.
In the Champions League too, the French international struck when necessary, scoring five goals in six matches in the group stage, already as many as in his two previous seasons combined.
Having become the top scorer in Atlético history in January, “Grizou” was “unplayable” until his injury, as he joked to the French press last November. But without him Atlético have won only one of their last four matches.
Before the defeat against Cadiz on Saturday (2-0), Diego Simeone announced that the French star was uncertain against Inter. But his return to training has dispelled any doubts.
Now left in the race for the La Liga title, Diego Simeone’s team will therefore count on this “magical player”, as his Argentine coach praised him, to overthrow the Interists.
The Metropolitano Fortress
A qualification, even in pain, for the next round, would offer the Colchoneros something to continue dreaming of, in a season marred by poor away results.
The Rojiblancos will be able to count on the unwavering support of their supporters, in a stadium where they have suffered only one setback this season, after more than a year of invincibility.
In the aisles of the Metropolitano, the song “una Gitana loca” (a crazy gypsy in Spanish), quickly adopted by Griezmann and his teammates, will resonate with the hope that the prophecy he mentions will come true: “a gypsy drew the cards, she told me that Atlético was going to be champion.”
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