After winning their last three matches by a 2+ goal margin, the signs pointed toward a comfortable victory for Atlético Madrid in Saturday’s match vs. Levante. Instead, the Granotas proved to be a rather stubborn test for Diego Simeone’s side, who, after conceding an early own goal, immediately responded by levelling proceedings via Atleti academy product Manuel Sánchez. Atleti found themselves on the front foot, but they were unable to make it past a resolute Levante backline and an unflummoxed
Mathew Ryan in goal.
It’s why, in the 61st minute, Simeone made a double substitution: Antoine Griezmann came on for Pablo Barrios, and Thiago Almada replaced Alexander Sørloth. It would take Griezmann less than a minute to put his stamp on the proceedings, with Atleti patiently working the ball across the pitch and finding Marcos Llorente, whose cross sat up perfectly for Griezmann to slot into goal from close range. Griezmann nearly doubled his scoring immediately after, timing his third-man run to perfection, only to be bumped in the back and fall down (no penalty was given).
With Levante chomping at the bit, it was evident that Atleti needed a security blanket. They got it in the 80th minute, as Griezmann took advantage of an errant back pass and, receiving the ball from 30 yards out, turned and attracted two opponents before unleashing Julián Alvarez, whose shot was thwarted by Ryan. Not to worry: Griezmann diligently tracked the ball and slid in to fire home Atleti’s third goal to put the seal on a 3-1 victory.
It was the kind of performance that reminded viewers why, even at 34, Griezmann still has plenty left in the tank.
For the first time in his Atleti career, Griezmann is finding himself on the bench more often than not, but he’s nevertheless finding ways to make an impact on the game. He ended his 22-match scoreless run in September’s 5-2 win vs. Real Madrid before finding the back of the net in the following match vs. Eintracht Frankfurt. Griezmann returned to the scoresheet to kick off November, when he put the cherry on top in a 3-0 thrashing of Sevilla. And after starting in his third Champions League match in four vs. Union Saint-Gilloise, he spearheaded his team to a hard-fought win with this super-sub performance vs. Levante.
Born in Mâcon, France, Griezmann has lived and played in Spain since he was a teenager. It is in this country where he has established himself as one of the greatest players in the entire history — if not the single greatest — in the history of Atlético Madrid. But he also hasn’t quite picked up the silverware that his superb individual heroics have otherwise deserved.
Apart from the 2014 Supercopa de España, and the 2018 UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup titles, Griezmann has failed to win any major silverware as an Atlético player. Though he has won the most desired title in all of sports with France’s 2018 World Cup conquest, it’s fair to say that the two biggest domestic trophies of his club career have come with the 2010 Segunda División title, won with Real Sociedad, and the 2021 Copa del Rey he claimed with FC Barcelona.
Most players Griezmann’s age are plying their trade in MLS, like D.C. United’s Christian Benteke or New York Red Bulls’ Emil Forsberg; either that, or they are playing in the Middle East, like Al-Sadd’s Roberto Firmino or Al-Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez. Griezman himself has hinted at a move to North America in the future, but it’s undeniable that he still has plenty of unfinished business at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Despite scoring a whopping 203 goals and 93 assists in 461 appearances for the Rojiblancos, the two most coveted club trophies on display, the UEFA Champions League or the LaLiga trophy, have continued to elude him.
Griezmann’s determination to win a major title at Atlético stems from how agonizingly close he has come in the past. This is a player who was always destined for greatness, a player who was always headed for the biggest stages. He led Real Sociedad to a long-awaited UEFA Champions League return in 2013, which prompted pundits like Leonardo Bertozzi and Sid Lowe to declare him as one of the top rising stars in the game. Within two years of Atlético signing him for a then-club record €30 million, Griezmann became Simeone’s talisman; often devoid of a class attacking partner to take some of the burden off his shoulders, Griezmann still helped Atleti reach a Champions League final before his stellar performances guided the Colchoneros to a Europa League win in 2018.
The search for titles ultimately led Griezmann to make a controversial €120 million transfer to Barcelona in 2019, where he linked up with Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé in the Bluagranas’ attack. But from the very first moment he stepped onto the pitch, it became evident that Griezmann was a square peg in a round hole who was unable to benefit from the same responsibilities as he had in the Spanish capital. After all, he had been Atletico’s Messi – everything ran through him. It’s why, after just two years in Catalunya, Griezmann opted to return to the Rojiblancos in 2021, initially joining on loan with an option to buy for €40 million, before he made the move permanent in 2022 for €20 million.
While he struggled as a loanee in 2021/22, Griezmann produced consecutive world-class seasons in 2022/23 (16 goals/18 assists) and 2023/24 (24 goals/8 assists). It was nearly two years ago when Griezmann passes Luis Aragonés as the club’s all-time top scorer, but the silverware befitting an Atlético player of such status has remained out of reach. When his numbers took a turn for the worse last season (17 goals/9 assists in 56 appearances), speculation grew that Griezmann would leave Atleti as the club added players like Thiago Almada and Álex Baena over the summer. But instead, Griezmann signed a new contract — and his international retirement last September has helped to keep him fit and fresh.
It could give Griezmann an advantage, and a chance to keep scoring, as he recharges his batteries before a challenging run of fixtures that will see Atleti travel to Getafe, Barcelona, Athletic Club and PSV Eindhoven, while hosting Inter and Real Oviedo over the span of 16 days later this month.
