Griezmann's drop in level mirrors Atletico's dismal run

A new fiasco for Atletico de Madrid, which was eliminated from the Copa del Rey after losing against Barcelona. The 'Colchonero' team, for the second consecutive year, was once again left at the gates of a cup final, remaining, in addition, practically without aspirations to all the titles in just one month.

Simeone's team arrived with the tie even after the 4-4 draw in the first leg, but they didn't even ‘show up’ in the second leg. Atletico finished the match with poor offensive numbers. They shot only 5 times during the 90 minutes, without getting any of them on goal. Szczesny was a mere spectator and only had to intervene in a few balls into the box, without any complexity.

None of the players were up to the task, especially in the first half. However, if anyone stood out in that sense of gloom, it was Antoine Griezmann. The French striker once again went unnoticed during the 81 minutes he played until Simeone decided to substitute him, and his influence on the team's play was negligible.

Despite this, this is not a one-off slump, as the feeling that the No 7 is missing and contributes very little to the team goes back a long way. To justify it numerically, Griezmann has played as a starter in the last 12 matches of his team, scoring only one goal and providing one assist. In addition, he has been substituted on 10 occasions. A perfect example that the Frenchman's influence and his natural gift for decisiveness have been considerably reduced.

At a time when there are rumours of a possible extension of his contract, which expires in 2026, until 2027, Griezmann is not going through his best form and the ‘colchoneros’ fans are becoming impatient, even asking for his substitution or his departure at the end of the season. The Frenchman has 9 La Liga matches and the Club World Cup left to try to turn the situation around.