Griezmann compares Luxembourg to Atlético: “It was lovely to see”

Antoine Griezmann and France were frustrated by Luxembourg on Sunday night, but the Atlético Madrid star said it bore an eerie resemblance to his own club side. The tiny nation, with a population of just north of 500,000, were massive underdogs but battled with World Cup favourites France for a point.

“We have no excuse,” Griezmann said after the game, which still took France top of Group A in World Cup qualifying.

“We had 11 warriors in front of us. It was nice to see because it reminded me of my own team,” he continued, referencing Diego Simeone’s bruising battling brigade.

Griezmann scored against Netherlands on Thursday night but couldn’t hit the back of the net on Sunday as les bleus were held to a 0-0 draw despite a 32-3 shots advantage. Griezmann will now return to Madrid to join up with Atlético ahead of a trip to Valencia on Saturday afternoon. The striker will not play at Mestalla, though, as he finishes a two-game suspension.