Griezmann's PlayStation form steers Atletico Madrid back on track

MADRID (AP) — Antoine Griezmann wishes he was as good in the real world as he is on PlayStation. Based on his performances with Atletico Madrid, he must be really good on the video game.

Griezmann and fellow forward Julian Alvarez have returned to form to lead Atletico on a 10-game winning streak that has put the club back on track in the Champions League and Spanish league, where on Sunday it hosts Getafe with a chance to reach the top of the standings.

Atletico trails leader Barcelona by three points and is one point behind second-placed Real Madrid. Atletico and Madrid have a game in hand compared to Barcelona. The Catalan club hosts Leganes on Sunday, while Madrid visits Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Griezmann scored his sixth and seven goals in his last five matches in Atletico's 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Wednesday. Alvarez scored his fifth goal in five matches.

Griezmann is a long-time fan of video games and used to make headlines for his Fortnite celebrations during that game's hype a few years ago. The France star celebrated one of his goals at Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday alongside Pablo Barrios and Giuliano Simeone, two of his PlayStation playing partners, imitating the moves they make on the video game.

"We play FIFA a lot and that's the celebration we usually do when we play together," Griezmann said. He quickly added, "We are better on the Play than we are on the field."

Griezmann, named the man of the match against Slovan, scored his goals in the 42nd and 57th minutes, after Alvarez — who arrived from Manchester City for more than $100 million in August — put Atletico ahead with a nice curling finish to open the scoring in the 16th. Slovan's lone goal came in the second half.

Atletico's attack has been key for the team's resurgence since an October loss at Real Betis in La Liga. Since then, Diego Simeone's team has outscored opponents 30-7 across all competitions. It has scored three or more goals in each of its last five games, something that hadn't happened since 1950, according to UEFA.

"We've been playing really well and the team as a whole is performing excellently," Alvarez said. "Everyone, even those coming off the bench, has been contributing to the team. We are on the right path and we have to keep working this way. All the competitions are very challenging but we've been doing really well."

The victory against Slovan moved Atletico to 11th place in the Champions League standings, in position to try to grab one of the top eight spots in the league phase.

"We needed the points. They were very important for us to carry on with this dynamic," coach Simeone said. "The team is responding to the situations we find ourselves in in these games. This reflects well on the team."

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