Back-to-Basics Antoine Griezmann Aids Atletico Madrid in Malaga Draw

It was a hat-trick of sorts for Antoine Griezmann. Capitalising on Carlos Kameni's major blunder from Jesus Gamez's long throw, the Frenchman poked home Atletico Madrid's opener against Malaga on Saturday to extend his scoring run to three straight games.

Interestingly, it's a sequence for Atleti's marquee signing in which each goal has shared a common theme: opposition errors.

When Diego Simeone's men travelled to Cordoba last weekend, Griezmann pounced on a mistake from Bruno Zuculini, charged toward the hosts' goal and steered home a smart finish to break his five-game scoring drought.

Just days later when Real Sociedad visited the Vicente Calderon, the 24-year-old was on hand to smash Geronimo Rulli's parried save into the net, lethally punishing another defence.

And on Saturday, he did the same to Malaga after Kameni's gift, adding a second goal after half-time to earn Atleti a point at the Rosaleda.

For the cynics, he's been lucky; fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

But the truth is, that luck has been his own doing.

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When Simeone benched Griezmann for the visit of Getafe, and then later publicly demanded more from him while insisting the Frenchman hadn't "been his usual self," the Argentinian wasn't asking for goals. Instead, he was asking for the process that leads to them, understanding that goals would be the outcome of recapturing the intensity that defined Griezmann's blitz from December to February.

As pointed out in this column after his outstanding display in Atleti's mauling of Real Madrid, the forward had begun to fulfil his manager's vision of him by being more than a goalscorer. He was pressing. Chasing. Tackling. Running down every ball within his reach, and even those out of it.

Simeone knew Griezmann had the talent to become a potent weapon, one of Europe's best. But he forced the France international to endure a difficult beginning to life at Atletico to teach him that it wouldn't come without an unrelenting work ethic.

By the time Real Madrid arrived at the Calderon, he'd developed just that, inflicting the full force of his new, all-round game on Carlo Ancelotti's unsuspecting stars.

But, as is often the case, the peak in performance was followed by a dip to a plateau. Between late February and early April, Griezmann went both scoreless and without an assist, as the intensity and ferocity of his game subsided just enough to be noticeable.

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It was natural, understandable. This is the former La Real star's first season with a title contender. His first season dealing with the demands posed by four competitions, of managing the expectation of leading the attack for the Spanish champions.

Such demands are arduous; Griezmann can be excused for temporary stretches of indifferent form as his adjustment to the ongoing requirement for excellence continues.

Yet, the issue for Simeone is that he doesn't have a plethora of other options to turn to. Griezmann's small slump translated into a exactly that—a slump—for Atleti as a whole. It's why the manager publicly asked for more from the Frenchman—he knew the forward was capable of better, but Simeone also recognised he himself had to lead Griezmann back to that form for the benefit of his team.

Thus, when the Argentinian remarked that his top scorer hadn't been "his usual self," it wasn't a pointing of the finger at Griezmann's output in front of goal; instead, it was a challenge to his ambition. A question almost—have you got the hunger to recapture what we need?

The answer?

Well, three straight scoring games certainly say a lot. But look a little closer, and it's clear it's been the little things that have powered the resurgence. A back-to-basics approach from Atleti's platinum-haired star.

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Like he was when punishing both Cordoba and former club Real Sociedad, Griezmann's display against Malaga on Saturday was defined by what he did without the ball. He tracked back into midfield to lay tackles. He harassed the hosts' centre-back pairing in Sergio Sanchez and Weligton. He made sacrificial runs for the benefit of team-mates. He chased down everything.

That endeavour, that attitude, that work rate, meant that when chances fell, he was there to capitalise. Demanding so much of himself meant that things that could go his way, did go his way.

Simeone, though perhaps frustrated by Saturday's draw, will be delighted in one sense. Griezmann is back to "his usual self."

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