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Antoine Griezmann insisted he’s happy at Barcelona despite a lack of minutes recently after Wednesday’s Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
The World Cup winner started the game at the Parc des Princes in attack alongside Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele but could not find the target and has now gone nine games without a goal in all competitions.
Griezmann spoke to reporters after the match and said he still feels good at Barcelona but is disappointed to see the team head out of the Champions League, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“I feel very good, with my teammates and the coach. I am here to help, be it 10 minutes or 90. I am at the service of the collective,” he said. “It’s time to keep our heads up and feel confidence because of how we played. We need to keep improving. We are hacked off because we were desperate to go through. I don’t think we deserved to go out this early but next year we’ll try to win this competition.”
Griezmann has been benched in recent games after coach Ronald Koeman reverted to a 3-5-2 formation. The Frenchman was left out of the starting XI for league and cup games against Sevilla as well as the win over Elche in La Liga.
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Griezmann Praises Goalkeeper
Barcelona did create plenty of chances throughout the match. Dembele was denied on a number of occasions by goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who also blocked a Messi penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Keylor Navas made 9 saves vs. Barcelona, including a Lionel Messi penalty.
No Remontada today 🤚
Griezmann felt his team ought to have scored more goals but did take time out to praise Navas for his performance in goal for the French champions.
“It’s a real shame, I’d say there were four clear-cut opportunities plus the penalty. If you don’t put them away, it’s harder later in the game. Nevertheless, It was a completely different contest to the first leg,” he added. “In the end, it wasn’t to be but we gave it everything we had. It’s also true that Keylor had a great game for them tonight – congratulations to him.”
Pedri Rues Missed Chances
Griezmann wasn’t the only Barcelona player left to rue missed chances after the match. Teenage midfielder Pedri also spoke about the team’s inability to convert opportunities after the final whistle, as reported by UEFA.
“We were so aware of taking a poor result from the first let into this return match. We knew it’d be vital to take our chances. We produced a really good game but we missed big chances,” he said. “We believed we could produce another big fightback and qualify but the penalty just before halftime was a big blow to miss. We kept on fighting and you can’t define a result or a game looking just at a missed penalty. We had many chances and didn’t take them.”
The players now have a few days to collect their thoughts before they return to action on Monday in La Liga. The Catalan giants host bottom side Huesca at the Camp Nou and will be aiming to extend their 16-match unbeaten run in La Liga.
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Griezmann Talks Barcelona Future After Champions League Exit