If there is one name that FC Barcelona should especially watch out for in the match against Atletico Madrid, that is Antoine Griezmann. And how could they not? The Macon native is not only one of the main offensive assets of the mattress team in the 2024-25 season, in which he has scored 11 goals (2nd top scorer) and is the team's primary assist provider with six assists, but he also has a recognized history with the Blaugrana.
Antoine had a somewhat 'gray' period at Barcelona, to which he arrived in 2019 for the exorbitant sum of €120 million. Despite showing flashes of quality and posting decent numbers, with 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 appearances, he failed to meet the expectations set for a star who had shone at Atletico Madrid and the French national team, even finishing in the top 3 of the Ballon d'Or in 2018.
However, it is important to consider certain mitigating factors, such as the fact that Griezmann never fully adapted to Barcelona, a team he was loaned from in 2021 and definitively parted ways with in 2023.
The 2018 World Cup champion with France was overshadowed by Leo Messi, who, as the biggest star of Barcelona, occupied the position that worked best for the 'Little Prince', being himself a forward with freedom of movement who excels as a second striker alongside a reference '9' in the offensive line, a dynamic that Griezmann could not enjoy at the Catalan club, as he mostly played as a winger on both sides or as a center forward.
Will Griezmann be able to make 'the law of the ex' count against Barcelona?
Despite everything, it is evident that when facing a player like Antoine Griezmann again, whose time at Barcelona is considered one of the least profitable in history, the so-called 'law of the ex' may arise. However, 'Grizou' has not been able to make it count against Barcelona since returning to Atletico Madrid, facing the Culés six times in LaLiga without scoring or assisting, losing in five of those matches.
Nevertheless, considering the good form that Antoine Griezmann is currently in at Atletico Madrid, he represents a significant threat to the Madrid team, especially considering that the Frenchman has scored goals against Barcelona in the past, with six goals in the 25 previous encounters before joining the Culé team, three with Atletico Madrid and three with Real Sociedad.
This Saturday, the 'Little Prince' will have a new opportunity to face his former team in a match that will surely be special for him. Will he be able to show his goal-scoring instinct or will he come up empty? We'll have to wait to find out, but at first glance, he is a key piece of the opposing team that Barcelona cannot afford to overlook.