VILLARREAL • Antoine Griezmann answered his critics in style on Sunday by scoring with a sensational chip, as Barcelona thrashed Villarreal 4-1 to keep their faint La Liga title hopes alive.
It was the France striker's first goal in 10 league games and it was all the more satisfying given that he proved his worth to his coach Quique Setien, who dropped him from the starting line-up in the past two matches.
"He has associated himself very well and has been gaining confidence," Setien said. "I am very satisfied as I suppose he will be after the goal. So beautiful that he has scored."
After the humiliation of being brought on in the 90th minute in the 2-2 draw against his former club Atletico Madrid last month, Griezmann's brother and father hit out at Setien on social media.
Griezmann's brother, Theo, tweeted: "I feel like crying, seriously" and then added "two minutes..." in reference to the time his brother played.
Setien said after that game that he did not need to apologise to Griezmann as the 29-year-old could "destabilise" the team.
Griezmann's father, Alain, suggested that Setien's days at Barcelona are numbered. "In order to apologise you first need the keys of the lorry and that is not the case, because he is simply a passenger," he wrote on Instagram.
Griezmann started at La Ceramica on Sunday and showed what he was capable of with a stunning goal, teed up by Lionel Messi.
An own goal from Pau Torres put Barca up, with Villarreal's Gerard Moreno levelling before the visitors restored their lead through Luis Suarez. Griezmann stretched Barca's advantage just before the break, while 17-year-old Ansu Fati added a fourth in the second half. The win took Barca to 73 points after 34 games, four behind Real Madrid, who won 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao earlier in the day.
Barca's confidence was rocked by draws with Celta Vigo (2-2) and Atletico, while the sense of instability at the club deepened amid reports captain Messi was unhappy and did not want to stay beyond his contract, which ends next year.
But Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu dismissed those rumours after the win. "Messi has said he will end his working and footballing life at Barca," he said.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
