Zagreb (AFP)

Confidence crisis, really?

Antoine Griezmann, in difficulty in club and little in sight Sunday against Portugal (0-0), responded to criticism by scoring Wednesday in Croatia (2-1).

Effective if not imperial in the game, the Barcelona remains essential to the Blues.

A week earlier against Ukraine (7-1), "Grizou" had benefited from a little boost, seeing his slightly deflected strike end at the back of the net.

In Zagreb, he did not need anyone to accommodate a powerful strike under the helm of Dominik Livakovic (8th), and launch the Habs to a new victory in the League of Nations.

If he has not yet found all his flashes of genius of the World-2018, the French playmaker, tossed about in recent days in the press, had to savor by carrying out his fetish celebration, thumbs waved from bottom to top in tribute for the title "Hotline Bling" by Canadian rapper Drake.

The relief was also palpable for Clément Lenglet, his Barça partner who traveled all over the field to come and kiss the evening scorer on the neck.

A sign that does not deceive: the Barcelona defender is undoubtedly one of the best placed to know what the former player of Atlético Madrid has been experiencing on a daily basis for a year in Catalonia, where his association with Lionel Messi struggles to show the slightest promise.

- "Patience" paid off -

Doubt was also beginning to appear among the Blues, like a very dull performance on Sunday against the Portuguese European champions, or his three failures on ... three penalties attempted with the selection for over a year .

The situation had something to question, as the coach Didier Deschamps had been trying for weeks to put in place a tactic precisely intended to "put in the best conditions" his number 7, this famous "attacking triangle" to allow him to have the keys to offensive animation.

Deschamps even had to defend his world champion on Tuesday at a press conference, citing a "lack of benchmarks" and recapitulating all the statistics of the native of Mâcon among the Blues - "32 goals and 21 assists, that speaks".

Captain Hugo Lloris, too, had protected his partner, demanding "patience".

It was indeed badly to know Antoine Griezmann to want to bury him too quickly, so much the gatherings have been similar for him in recent months, with a fairly clear rise in power each time.

In November 2019, Griezmann thus scored in Albania (2-0 victory) after a poorer performance against Moldova (2-1 victory).

And last month, the 29-year-old did not shine in Sweden (1-0 victory), before raising his level against Croatia (4-2 victory), confirming the statements of his coach who said of him : "The more rhythm it has, the better".

- "Where the ball falls" -

"Griezmann, his intelligence is that he is where the ball always falls. You can say the opposite: the ball always falls where it is. It is the mark of people who feel football," said of him Michel Platini in recent days, in an interview with AFP.

The 1984 European champion got it right.

Without being exceptional in the organization on Wednesday, the Barcelona saw the missed release of Domagoj Vida fall directly ... in his feet, on the action of the goal.

The left then did not tremble, unlike the crossbar, then the Croatian nets.

"DD" had done well to speak statistics Tuesday in the precincts of the dilapidated Maksimir stadium.

Because for his 83rd selection, Antoine Griezmann has compiled some crisp numbers.

A 40th appearance in a row in the selection (including 36 tenure!) First, a total only exceeded by Patrick Vieira in the post-war period.

A 33rd goal, then, to get closer to a unit of the 4th highest scorer in the history of the France team, David Trezeguet.

And a third goal scored in three matches against the same Croats (the first in the World Cup final, the second last September).

The some 6,300 spectators who came Wednesday found their pet peeve.

Griezmann, he has regained confidence.

© 2020 AFP