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Tag Antoine Griezmann

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Griezmann goal earns FC Barcelona draw at spirited Napoli

Draw
Naples (Italy), Feb. 26, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Antoine Griezmann’s second half equaliser handed FC Barcelona a vital away goal and a 1-1 draw at Napoli in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg meeting on Tuesday.

A superb curling strike from Dries Mertens put the home side in front in the first half.

The goal helped the Belgian to draw level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli’s all-time top scorer in all competitions with 121 goals.

But Barca breached a well-drilled Napoli defence after the break when Griezmann fired in a Nelson Semedo cross.

The visitors ended the game with 10 men after Arturo Vidal was sent off late on for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.

The two sides, who were facing each other for the first time, will meet again at the Camp Nou for the second leg on March 18.(Reuters/NAN)
MUYI/DOE/OLAL
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Griezmann double helps Barca back to winning ways

La Liga
Barcelona (Spain), Aug. 26, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) An Antoine Griezmann double allowed FC Barcelona to return to winning ways with an emphatic 5-2 La Liga win over Real Betis on Sunday.

After the champions were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao in their opening match of the season last week, they rebounded in style on Sunday.

Strikes from Carles Perez, Jordi Alba and Arturo Vidal completed a memorable day for the Catalans as they marked defender Gerard Pique’s 500th appearance for the club.

Barca, who were without injured forward Lionel Messi, started on the back foot and fell behind when Nabil Fekir netted with a sublime angled strike in the 15th minute.

Griezmann, who joined Barca last month from rivals Atletico Madrid, scored four minutes before half-timeto level the scores.

The French 2018 World Cup winner’s maiden goal for the club proved to be the catalyst the Spanish champions needed on the night.

They went on to score four more unanswered goals in 27 second half minutes.

Griezmann curled in from the edge of the box five minutes after the restart, while Perez made it 3-1 after 56 minutes before Alba struck on the hour from close range.

Substitute Vidal then finished off a wonderful team move 13 minutes from the end.

Loren netted a stunning consolation strike from 25 metres for the visitors following an errant pass from Griezmann two minutes later.

Coach Ernesto Valverde was able to bring on academy player Ansu Fati, who at 16 years and 298 days is the second youngest player in FC Barcelona’s history, late on.

The Catalans have three points from two La Liga games, while Real Betis have lost both of their games this season.(Reuters/NAN)
VO/MUYI/OLAL
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(Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Late strikes from Godin and Griezmann keep Atletico in La Liga title chase

Chase
Madrid, April 3, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Atletico Madrid left it late to see off Girona 2-0 at home on Tuesday as strikes from Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann.

The win kept up their faint hopes of catching La Liga leaders FC Barcelona.

Team captain Godin broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with the help of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after the goal had been initially ruled out for offside against Griezmann.

The technology gave Atletico a lead they barely deserved and France forward Griezmann sealed victory deep in added time.

It was with a delightful chipped finish on the counter-attack, snapping a spell of seven games in all competitions without a goal for his club.

“I sincerely thought that they weren’t going to give us the first goal. We are used to seeing goals like that disallowed when we score them,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone told reporters.

The narrow victory moved Atletico to 62 points, eight behind Barca, who drew 4-4 away at Villarreal late on Tuesday.

Barca host Atletico in a top-of-the-table showdown on Saturday, where a win for the Catalans could effectively end the title race.

The game kicked off in a subdued atmosphere as a large number of Atletico fans waited until the 12th minute to enter the ground.

It was in protest at the team not acknowledging travelling fans after their 3-0 defeat at Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

The strange atmosphere appeared to rub off on the Atletico players as they were lacklustre in defence in the first half.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak had to make two impressive saves to prevent Girona’s Ivorian forward Seydou Doumbia from scoring.

The home side, meanwhile, nearly took the lead when a stinging long-range strike from midfielder Koke thumped the crossbar.

Also, Alvaro Morata spurned a clear chance to score later in the first half as he sent an attempted lob just over the bar.

Morata had to be substituted in the second half with a suspected ankle injury, adding to Atletico’s problems in attack ahead of the crucial trip to the Nou Camp.

Striker Diego Costa and winger Thomas Lemar are already battling to be fit for the game. (Reuters/NAN)
VO/MUYI/OLAL
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(Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Barcelona president fuels Griezmann speculation

Barcelona president fuels Griezmann speculation

Speculation

By Kayode Adebiyi

Barcelona (Spain), May 7, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has been in contact with Antoine Griezmann’s agent amid reports the Atletico Madrid striker is set to join the Spanish champions.
Frenchman Griezmann has a 100 million euro (88 million pounds) release clause in his contract and Spanish media reported that Barcelona are ready to pay it.
“We are analysing the season and we will see what we will do with ins and outs.
“I have bumped into him (Griezmann) occasionally in the Balearic Islands. I have not spoken to him this year but I did speak to his agent in October.
“With (Atletico Madrid President Enrique) Cerezo I have spoken about a lot of things, but not about this,” Bartomeu told radio station RAC1.
Barcelona are looking to strengthen their squad after winning the Spanish title 12 points clear of second place Atletico with three matches left.
They drew 2-2 with Real Madrid on Sunday in a tempestuous Clasico despite playing the second half with 10 men after Sergi Roberto’s dismissal, and are unbeaten in 42 league matches.
“We are very happy with (coach Ernesto Valverde’s) work and that of the players.
“When they sent off Sergi Roberto, I suffered a bit thinking about the second half, but then we went on to have a great game,” Bartomeu added.
Barcelona also won the Spanish Cup this season but were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by AS Roma after squandering a 4-1 first-leg lead. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/SA/MZA

Edited by Salif Atojoko/Maharazu Ahmed

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