Griezmann’s brace catapults Atletico to Europa League glory

Antoine Griezmann, the ace of the World Cup favorite France, put a celebratory end to his La Liga season this year.

The 27-year-old forward of Atletico Madrid scored a brace at the 2017-18 Europa League final, defeating Marseille 3-0 at the Stade de Lyon on Thursday. Netting an opener in the 21st minute of the first half, Griezmann found his second goal in the fourth minute into the second half, sending a chip shot over the head of the goalkeeper. In the 44th minute of the latter half, Gabi found the third goal, allowing Atletico to clench a 3-0 clean-slate victory and lift the 2018 Europa League trophy.

This marks the third Europa League victory for Atletico Madrid, following the 2009-2010 and the 2011-12 seasons. In fact, it was Marseille’s third shot at the Europa League trophy, following the past attempts in the 1998-1999 and 2003-2004 seasons, but they bit the dust yet again.

Griezmann’s promising performance at the Europa final today added weight to his presence at the French national team. France is one of the four biggest favorites for the 2018 Russian World Cup, along with Brazil, Germany, and Spain. Aiming to lift their second World Cup trophy in Russia, France boasts a menacing squad rich with star players both in the offense and defense, such as Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane. Pundits say that Griezmann, who scored six goals and ranked fourth as the best scorer for the Europa League, will add more firepower to the French squad in the upcoming World Cup.


Jae-Hyeng Kim monami@donga.com