"I had to get used to all that" - Former Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann opens up on his time at the La Liga club

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has reflected on how he would cope with regular positional changes at Barcelona ahead of his return to Camp Nou.

The Catalans host the high-flying Rojiblancos on Sunday (April 23). The game promises to be a cracker as both teams are unbeaten in their last few top-flight games.

Griezmann had left Atletico for Barcelona in 2019 on a mammoth €120 million transfer, but things didn't go according to plan for him. The Frenchman struggled to produce his best form during his debut season. He was also played out of position on the left wing by then-manager Ernesto Valverde.

His form improved slightly in his second year with the Blaugrana. However, he returned to Atletico on loan in 2021 before the move was made permanent in October last year.

As Griezmann prepares to return to his old stomping ground, he reflected on his time at the club while speaking to the Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo. He said (via Barca Universal):

“It was a complicated first year, as a substitute, not playing, another system, another position… I had to get used to all that. I liked my second year, I enjoyed it."

Griezmann has scored just 35 goals in 102 appearances for Barcelona, including 22 in 74 games in La Liga while lifting only the Copa del Rey title.

Atletico, meanwhile, are in a great run of form, having won their last six league games and been unbeaten in their last 13. Griezmann is, hence, aiming for nothing less than three points at Camp Nou on Sunday.

He added:

“Now we’re on another run and we have to enjoy what we have. We’ve got a great game ahead of us, we’ll try to go there and win and get the three points."

Barcelona are currently at the top of the La Liga table with 73 points from 29 games while Atletico are down in third with 60.

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Atletico to throw yet another spanner in Barcelona's work?

Barcelona are comfortably ahead of holders Real Madrid atop the La Liga table. Los Blancos are 11 points behind Barca right now, but the gap has been slowly reducing with the Catalans dropping points lately.

A 0-0 draw with Girona was followed by another goalless stalemate with Getafe last weekend. The Blaugrana now come up against a team who've won their last six league matches.

It's another banana skin for them. Failing to win could give Real Madrid another chance to trim the gap on them as the La Liga title race is inching towards the finish line.