A mocked-up picture of Antoine Griezmann stood exterior a French bistro in a waiter’s waistcoat, holding a silver tray, was posted on the France workforce’s social media accounts final weekend, with an indication within the window stating: Grizou pour vous servir (‘Grizou at your service’).
It marked him equalling Thierry Henry’s file for probably the most assists by a French participant (27), a file he broke shortly after, although it spoke extra broadly to the way in which he has been requested to offer for Kylian Mbappe at this World Cup.
Necessity was the mom of invention the place Griezmann’s new, deeper position was involved, after accidents earlier than the event to Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Antoine Griezmann has pushed France from an unfamiliar deep midfield position on the World Cup
With Didier Deschamps’ different midfielders, Jordan Veretout and Eduardo Camavinga, not convincing, the 31-year-old was put in in a three-man midfield with Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot. Griezmann has worn a heavy accountability calmly. Pogba described him on Friday as ‘Griezmannkante.’
The concentrate on Sunday shall be on the Mbappe vs Lionel Messi narrative however Griezmann, man of the match in Wednesday’s semi-final towards Morocco, has been the excellent French participant at this World Cup.
Information from STATSports reveal the immense bodily contribution he’s making, box-to-box, on the fallacious aspect of 30 — operating greater than 11km (6.8 miles) in 4 of his 5 begins, but additionally making 730 high-speed runs by way of the event.
The Frenchman has put in a collection of extraordinarily spectacular performances for France in Qatar
Although Messi’s position is totally different, he, for the file, has damaged the 9km (5.6 miles) barrier as soon as and made 478 high-speed runs. Griezmann’s contribution, working throughout the pitch, has been big.
The Frenchman would take private satisfaction from halting Argentina’s declare on a valedictory World Cup for Messi. The 2 had a tough relationship when Griezmann left Atletico Madrid for Barcelona in 2019, with Luis Suarez attempting to play the bridge-builder by organising social evenings for them and their wives.
Griezmann’s wrestle to seek out constant kind could have defined the froideur he felt from Messi. There was no heat earlier than Griezmann returned to Atletico in the summertime of 2021.
He has at instances needed to carry out the thankless duties of profitable bodily midfield battles
Amid the troubles of his membership profession, with the return to Madrid not going nicely, the World Cup has offered a reminder of his class.
He was the excellent participant in France’s quarter-final win over England, in addition to towards Morocco, supporting the entrance three going ahead and including attacking impetus on the precise, with Jules Kounde a much less forward-going presence at proper again.
France revealed after eliminating England that their opponents’ left flank — Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Luke Shaw — had been recognized because the hazard. It was Griezmann who was detailed to restrict these gamers’ affect on that aspect of the pitch.
His inch-perfect ball for Olivier Giroud was the supply which despatched Gareth Southgate’s workforce dwelling however he has put in a defensive shift when France aren’t in possession, averaging as many tackles as Tchouameni.
France recognized England’s left aspect as hazard space and Griezmann was chosen to close it down
At 5ft 7in he isn’t the tallest participant however Griezmann all the time appears to be scanning the horizon, with a panoramic view of the sector. He dribbles in addition to any participant in Deschamps’ workforce and may function on both foot. An entire participant.
‘I really feel Griezmann has at instances been “Zidane-esque” at this World Cup,’ stated Christophe Dugarry, a part of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning aspect. ‘He all the time has the precise tone, the precise go. I sincerely suppose this workforce wouldn’t be the identical with out him.
‘We frequently lack rhythm. There’s not lots of depth. However, as quickly as Antoine touches the ball, he places rhythm on a go, on a imaginative and prescient. He has a mixture of Zizou (Zinedine Zidane) and Michel Platini. Platini enlightened the sport and had a imaginative and prescient. He noticed the sport earlier than the others. I see this in Griezmann. I discover him calm, serene.’
Mbappe could be the toast of Paris come Sunday night, or Giroud, who conducts himself with the assured air of a person who has overtaken Henry’s file throughout this event to change into his nation’s all-time prime goalscorer.
However the ultimate could hinge on the contribution of the No 7 who walks quietly, not often shouts and is the inventive nexus of a France workforce with historical past of their sights.
His ball for Olivier Giroud displayed his prowess within the ultimate third as they knocked out England
