Clement Lenglet Says Antoine Griezmann Has Silenced Barcelona Doubters

Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet has said Antoine Griezmann has silenced his critics following a spike in form from the striker, who joined the club for €120 million this past summer.

Griezmann, 28, moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid and got off to a disjointed start in Catalonia, but Lenglet told reporters his French compatriot has proved any doubters wrong: "No one can say anything about Griezmann, it is something I had already commented on and now (it's less relevant). Everyone saw how the front three played at Eibar."

The forward—who netted 133 goals in 257 appearances for Atleti—has scored twice in his last three league games, registering a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-0 win away to Eibar:

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were each injured at the beginning of the season, placing an even greater responsibility on Griezmann to hit the ground running after such a high-profile move.

It didn't help the Frenchman's case that Barca's campaign got off to a rotten start, with only two wins in their first six games across all competitions.

Statman Dave highlighted how unremarkably Griezmann performed in the 2-0 defeat away to Granada on September 21:

It's no coincidence that Messi made his first start of the season in a 2-1 win over Villarreal on September 21 (the following fixture), and the Blaugrana have since won five matches in succession.

That said, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Barcelona may well perform better as a whole because of Suarez and Messi returning, while Griezmann could also have improved thanks to not having to bear the main responsibility in attack.

Griezmann's move to Barca was also overshadowed by Atletico's claims they were in fact due €200 million for the player because it was agreed prior to July 1, when his release clause dropped to the lower fee. Insufficient evidence to support the case meant the Catalan giants were fined only €300.

El Mundo (h/t Sport) reported Barcelona recently paid Los Rojiblancos €15 million (£13 million) to gain first refusal on five Atleti players, including Saul Niguez and Jose Maria Gimenez.

The Spanish Football Podcast echoed the sentiments of speculation in that report and said the payment had an ulterior purpose:

Ernesto Valverde and Griezmann are each sure to benefit from Barca's forward line being replenished to full strength, though Lenglet is particularly confident of his countryman's improvements.

The Blaugrana travel to Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday when they hope to establish a clear lead over Borussia Dortmund in Group F.