Atletico Madrid got their UEFA Champions League campaign up and running with an impressive 2-0 victory away from home at Galatasaray on Tuesday night, with Antoine Griezmann netting both goals.
Diego Simeone would have wanted a reaction from his players after a weekend loss to Barcelona in La Liga, and he certainly saw that. Atleti dominated most of the match until they were comfortably ahead, were far more threatening in attack and deserved the points in what would have initially been seen as one of their toughest games.
For the team, it's just one win to boost hopes at the start, but Griezmann showed once again that as this season goes on, he can become one of the competition's top forwards, pushing his side toward the latter stages of the competition and keeping them in with a chance of repeating their final appearance in 2014.
Changes
Having seen his side struggle to break out of a defensive shape against Barcelona, Simeone opted to make a handful of changes to bring more direct pace and running to the team. Saul Niguez replaced Gabi in midfield, Guilherme Siqueira came in for the injured Filipe Luis at left-back, and Griezmann himself dropped to the wing, leaving Luciano Vietto and Jackson Martinez paired in attack.
The teamsheet might have suggested a 4-3-3 approach, but it was evident soon after kick-off Simeone was sticking with 4-4-2, at least to begin with. Griezmann started from the right but swapped regularly with Koke, left side of the quartet, and when the Frenchman was on the left, it was noticeable how quickly and high he wanted to press the Galatasaray defence.
That essentially gave Atleti a three-high upfield anyway, and when possession was won back, the No. 7 was always quick to look to receive the ball or make ground toward the penalty area.
Had Galatasaray scored first, the suspicion must be that Simeone would have looked to move towards a more structured front three anyway without having to make a substitution, but this Atleti side was far too good for the Turkish champions.
Simeone: "We played really well in the first half. We surprised them with Jackson, Vietto & Griezmann in attack" #UCL pic.twitter.com/mzoQjJuV4g
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 15, 2015
Euro Star
Griezmann was unstoppable in the first half. Countless times, it was he who drove infield off the flank, linking midfield to attack and also creating space for Juanfran to surge down the wing. The opening goal came from such a manoeuvre, something Galatasaray couldn't deal with, but the low, first-time strike was of the highest quality.
#GAL 0-2 #ATM (via @StatsZone http://t.co/3kmRiFHQ2i): pic.twitter.com/pzaULIAi49
— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) September 16, 2015
Full of confidence, self-belief and expectation that he would test the goalkeeper, Griezmann simply didn't need to take a touch or move closer to the goal; the opening was there, and he took it.
His second goal was far more simple in execution, but the movement that preceded it from a corner that wasn't cleared was what really showed Griezmann's quality. Constantly looking to find a yard of space inside a crowded penalty box, he simultaneously kept himself onside, in a position of danger and unmarked. It's already three goals in four games, all competitions, this season for the French forward. By his own admission, his target this season is to breach the 25 he managed in 2014-15. So far, so good.
Aims
For both team and player, the objectives in the Champions League this season go hand in hand. Atletico will be looking at Group C, where Benfica initially struggled to overcome Kazakh side Astana on Tuesday, and thinking they should certainly top the group and quite possibly progress undefeated.
Topping the group of course brings its own benefits in (supposedly, marginally) an easier draw for the first knockout stage in the new year, but it also breeds a confidence among the players in the competition and a reverence and respect from the opposition. Few teams will want to go up against Simeone's team over two legs, and all will know they have been in a fantastically difficult match.
In a team that has the tactics nailed down, the defensive grit throughout the team to repel the finest attacks and plenty of offensive talents of their own, Griezmann is a standout talent on the verge of being bracketed among the very best in European football.
Antoine Griezmann: Scored as many Champions League goals (2) against Galatasaray last night as he had in the whole of last season #atleti
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 16, 2015
A half-season as an all-round goal creator and scorer isn't enough to judge him on fully, but if he goes on to net a similar or better tally than last term and continues to be a key player for his team on and off the ball...then we're looking at an 18-month run of form, leading into the European Championships on home soil, where Griezmann has been performing to a world-class standard.
In achieving that, he's likely to push Atletico far into the Champions League once again, and both club and individual will be looked at as among Europe's finest.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2566936-antoine-griezmann-has-the-class-to-take-atletico-madrid-far-champions-league
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