MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone and defender Axel Witsel said Tuesday they hoped Antoine Griezmann’s return could propel them into the Champions League quarter-finals.
The French forward suffered an ankle sprain in the 1-0 first leg defeat by Inter Milan in February and missed the following four matches across all competitions, in which Atletico won just once.
Griezmann has trained ahead of the second leg at the Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital on Wednesday and could start.
“Griezmann gives the team a lot of strength... he’s a very important player, we are very happy that he is back,” Witsel told a news conference.
Coach Simeone said the 32-year-old’s return would expand his options in the clash against last year’s runners-up.
“His return to the team gives us more solutions and more tactical possibilities... and we hope he has the game that he wants to have,” said Simeone.
Atletico were beaten 2-0 on Saturday by lowly Cadiz in La Liga but the coach expected supporters would back the team to the hilt against Inter.
“We’ll accept what they want to give us — they always give everything and support us, I am sure our fans will be like they always are,” added Simeone.
Atletico are fourth in La Liga and facing a battle with Athletic Bilbao to hold on to that spot, while the Basque team knocked them out of the Copa del Rey in the semifinals.
“I can say that I believe in my players, in my team and I know they will have a good game,” said Simeone.
“In recent games the team has not maintained the level they had been playing at and we hope to keep growing after the lessons (we’ve been given).”
Atletico coach Simeone welcomes ‘important’ Griezmann return
https://arab.news/zgu9z
Atletico coach Simeone welcomes ‘important’ Griezmann return
- “Griezmann gives the team a lot of strength... he’s a very important player, we are very happy that he is back,” Witsel told a news conference
- Coach Simeone said the 32-year-old’s return would expand his options in the clash against last year’s runners-up
Ferhat stars as Mouloudia get CAF Champions League boost
- Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage
- It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw
JOHANNESBURG: Zinedine Ferhat created the first goal and scored the second for Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in a 2-1 win over Al Hilal of Sudan 2-1 on Friday that threw CAF Champions League Group C wide open.
Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage before a near-capacity crowd in the 45,000-seat Algiers stadium.
Hilal rarely threatened to reduce the deficit in a cauldron of cheering, singing and flag waving until Mauritanian Ahmed Salem M’Bareck netted with 13 minutes remaining.
Ghanaian substitute Kamaradini Mamudu had a late chance to bring Hilal level, but his header from a corner flew wide.
It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw, however, as they were outplayed by quicker, slicker Mouloudia for long periods of an often scrappy, foul-ridden match.
Despite losing for the first time in the group after two victories and two draws, Hilal retained first place with eight points.
Topping the table in the most competitive of the four groups is a remarkable achievement by Hilal given they have to stage home matches in Rwanda because of the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
Mouloudia had just one point after matchday three, but back-to-back home wins over Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Hilal have lifted them to second with seven points.
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa have five points, one more than Lupopo, ahead of their clash in Lubumbashi on Sunday.
A win for Lupopo would leave Sundowns in danger of missing the knockout stage of the premier African club competition for only the second time since winning the 2016 final against Zamalek of Egypt.
In the final round on February 14, Hilal host Lupopo and Sundowns will have home advantage over Mouloudia, whose South African coach, Rhulani Mokwena, was formerly in charge of the Pretoria club.
