Published 11:49 IST, September 9th 2020
Antoine Griezmann now only behind Thierry Henry in the assist charts for France
With a goal and an assist against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League, Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann closed in on Thierry Henry's assist record for France.
Antoine Griezmann played a starring role for France in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup Final as the world champions defeated Croatia 4-2 in the UEFA Nations League. Despite going behind, Didier Deschamps’ men ended the game with a comprehensive victory. Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann was the star of the show, scoring one and assisting another in the victory. With the win, France football moved to the top of their UEFA Nations League group with two wins from two.
France beat Croatia in UEFA Nations League
Croatia took a surprising lead in the Nations League encounter courtesy of Dejan Lovren, with the defender turning and finishing brilliantly within the first 20 minutes. However, Antoine Griezmann equalised minutes before the end of the first half with a close-range finish, with there being enough time for France to take the lead via a fortuitous own goal as well. Anthony Martial’s shot bounced back off the post and hit goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic on the head before going in to give France the lead at the break. It was all level in the second half, with Josip Brekalo scoring 11 minutes after the restart. However, France took the lead again through Dayot Upamecano's header, with substitute Olivier Giroud wrapping up the victory with a late penalty.
Griezmann France record: Attacker closes in on Thierry Henry's tally
Antoine Griezmann was the star of the show during France vs Croatia. The Frenchman scored one goal and assisted another. In an all-round performance, Antoine Griezmann also played four key passes while creating two big chances according to Tribuna. With his goal in the first half, Antoine Griezmann moved level with Zinedine Zidane in the all-time top scorers' list for France. Both Zidane and Griezmann have scored 31 international goals.
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With Antoine Griezmann assisting Dayot Upmecano’s goal, the 29-year-old also registered his 21st assist for Les Bleus. Antoine Griezmann is now only behind French legend Thierry Henry, who provided 25 assists. This is not the first Thierry Henry record Antoine Griezmann has come close to when it comes to his exploits with the national team. During Euro 2016, Antoine Griezmann equalled Thierry Henry’s record, with both players scoring six goals for France at the Euros. After the game, several fans pointed out how Antoine Griezmann performs much better for the national team than Barcelona, as they accused the Spanish giants of hampering the attacker’s career.
Image Credits: Antoine Griezmann Twitter, AP
Updated 11:50 IST, September 9th 2020