A return from injury, a goal, insults and a penalty shootout… Antoine Griezmann experienced it all during the Champions League round of 16 second leg between Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.
A crazy but victorious evening for the Colchoneros playing master since his team, after losing in the first leg (0-1) qualified at the end of the penalty session (2-1, 3-2 tab).
It all started with a return to Diego Simeone's starting lineup for “Grizou”.
Hit in the ankle, the French international (127 caps, 44 goals) had not played since the first leg.
A triumphant comeback since in the 35th minute, Griezmann equalized taking advantage of an error from his compatriot Benjamin Pavard (1-1, 35th).
Enough to revive the Colchoneros who were very badly off in this double confrontation with the opening score of Di Marco (0-1, 32nd).
“I was nervous”
Available throughout the match, he was then “present in the most important moments”, according to his Argentinian coach.
Until he still came out in the 106th minute, exhausted.
“We left him on the field until he requested the change and when he realized that the team needed freshness because he was tired, he requested the change,” said explained Simeone.
The Atletico Madrid striker then had to watch the end of the match, and in particular the terrible penalty shootout from the sidelines.
His attitude towards Inter Milan players then went viral on social networks, particularly after Alexis Sanchez's missed penalty.
🔥 Griezmann, after falling Alexis in the tanda: “Is a cagón el chileno”https://t.co/UiASL7ZfTs
— Diario AS (@diarioas) March 13, 2024
“He got angry, the Chilean got upset”, we can hear it, in Spanish in the text, on the images captured by Movistar + (“Es un cagon, el chileno es un cagon").
Before finally seeing his teammates secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Antoine Griezmann returned at a press conference to his feelings heading into this session, which unfortunately reminded him of that of the France team against Argentina in the final of the 2022 World Cup (3-3, 4 tab 2).
“I was nervous,” he said.
“Last time it was the World Cup final and we lost.
But I trusted my teammates and, what's more, we have an incredible goalkeeper.
» “Grizou” now has an appointment with the quarter-finals (draw this Friday at 12 p.m.) and potentially PSG.