Tottenham players repeatedly slipped during Atlético’s 5-2 Champions League defeat as Griezmann acknowledged the hosts were “used to” the conditions
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann admitted his side were able to take advantage of Tottenham’s struggles with the slippery pitch during Tuesday night’s chaotic 5-2 Champions League victory at the Estadio Metropolitano.
Diego Simeone’s side raced into a commanding position in the round of 16 first-leg clash, leading 4-1 by half-time against a Spurs team that repeatedly lost their footing on the surface.
Several of Atletico’s goals came directly after Tottenham errors caused by players slipping, most notably from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. The Czech shot-stopper was responsible for two costly mistakes before being substituted midway through the first half.
Defender Micky van de Ven also lost his footing in the build-up to another Atlético goal as Spurs endured a nightmare opening period in Madrid.
The unusual sequence of events quickly became one of the main talking points after the match, particularly given Atlético players appeared far more comfortable on the surface throughout the game.
Griezmann acknowledged the role the conditions played in Tottenham’s mistakes while reflecting on the performance.
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“Well, we took advantage of some technical errors on their part and the very slippery pitch, which we are used to,” the French forward said after the match.
“It was a great game, but those two goals were a shame. We have to improve on what we did in Barcelona so that it doesn’t happen again.”
The situation also drew comparisons with Atlético’s recent Copa del Rey semi-final clash against Barcelona, where the Catalan side endured a similarly disastrous first half at the same end of the stadium.
On that occasion, Barcelona conceded four goals in a 4-0 defeat, with players repeatedly slipping during the opening 45 minutes.
Goalkeeper Joan Garcia even saw a routine pass back slip under his foot after the ball appeared to bobble on the surface.
While opposition teams have struggled with the conditions, Atlético players have seemingly adapted without issue – something Griezmann’s comments hinted at.