Atlético de Madrid have a very important weekend ahead of them. After the surprising slip-up against RCD Espanyol , where they drew 0-0 at the Metropolitano , Simeone 's men are looking to make another impact on the LaLiga table. However, to do so they will have to come out unscathed from one of the most difficult stadiums in the entire competition: San Mamés .
There, AthleticClub will be waiting for them, with Ernesto Valverde , who is already an absolute legend for the lions, who will play in the Europa League this year after several years. It will be a very special season for the Basques, who hope, as in recent years, to prevent Atlético de Madrid from scratching a point from their impregnable home ground. And the fact is that Simeone 's men have not had many visits to San Mamés in recent seasons, including the painful elimination from the Cup last year 23/24.
However, in every visit of the colchoneros to the home of Athletic Club,Antoine Griezmann is always relied upon. The French footballer is one of the biggest threats that the lions have had in recent years, being a player who has found the net on several occasions. In fact, the first time he did so with the Atlético de Madrid shirt was to mark a before and after in his history as a colchonero.
Where it all began
Antoine Griezmann signed for Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2014. He arrived as a star after his great season at Real Sociedad and many people were in the spotlight. However, his beginnings were not easy under Simeone and he even didn't score for almost the first month.
However, everything changed one night at San Mamés , where the south end was still being built. It was there that Antoine Griezmann , once and for all, managed to explode under the orders of the Argentine coach. In that match, which ended 1-4 in favour of Atlético de Madrid, the little prince scored his first hat-trick with the red and white.
All of this in a second half to remember, scoring the first goal in the 46th minute, the second in the 73rd and the third in the 81st minute. Three strikes that completely killed the match, and that helped Antoine Griezmann regain his confidence. In fact, from that match onwards, the rest of the goals came later and the Frenchman became the great footballer that he is today.
Furthermore, Athletic Club is one of the teams against which Antoine Griezmann has scored the most goals. It is therefore not surprising that Atlético de Madrid are holding on to their star player in order to return to the Cívitas Metropolitano with the three points under their belt. Something that Julián Alvarez and Ángel Correa , Antoine Griezmann 's main rivals in Simeone 's midfield, will have to keep a close eye on.