Simeone delighted with Griezmann´s attitude despite reduced role

Diego Simeone is loving watching Antoine Griezmann adapt to his new role at Atletico Madrid as the forward adjusts to playing fewer minutes.

Griezmann has started in just five of his LaLiga appearances this season, playing just 649 minutes in total, with Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth both preferred by Simeone.

However, the Frenchman came off the bench to help Atleti beat Valencia 2-1 last time out in the league, while he also scored a brace from the start in their Copa del Rey victory over Atletico Baleares.

Griezmann has scored five goals in LaLiga 2025-26, all of them coming from the bench, making him the highest scoring substitute in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Ahead of their trip to Girona in their final match of 2025, Simeone highlighted the impact of Griezmann’s goalscoring form.

“It’s important for him [to score] because he’s happier, more content,” said Simeone after their win over Baleares.

“It’s what he wants: to score goals, help the team and go as far as possible in all competitions.

“He works very hard, I loved it.”

We Fili pic.twitter.com/woitsLjQDv

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) December 20, 2025

Girona are 18th in LaLiga due to their inferior goal difference compared to Osasuna’s, but their form of late has been positive.

Along with a win over Real Sociedad last weekend, Girona also secured draws against Real Madrid and Real Betis recently.

Simeone insisted that he will base his game plan on Girona’s recent run of results rather than their season as a whole.

“I always look at opponents based on their current form, and Girona are better than they were at the start of the season,” added Simeone.

“They’re coming off the back of some positive results, three or four matches in which they’ve competed very well, such as against Real Madrid or coming back against Real Sociedad.

“They’re continuing in the same vein, with the courageous style of play that generates the attacking football the manager wants. We’ll try to take the game to where we think we can hurt them.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Girona – Viktor Tsygankov

Viktor Tsygankov has been involved in four of Girona’s last five LaLiga goals (three goals, one assist).

In fact, he has already scored one more league goal this season (three in 10 appearances) than he managed in the entirety of last term (two in 27).

Atletico Madrid – Julian Alvarez

Alvarez has scored the fifth-most goals in LaLiga this season (seven) and was rested for their midweek Copa del Rey tie.

However, the forward has not found the back of the net in the Spanish top-flight since November 1 against Sevilla.

MATCH PREDICTION: ATLETICO MADRID WIN

Atleti are unbeaten in four of their five LaLiga visits to Girona (W2 D2 L1), including their 4-0 win in May 2025. Their only defeat came in January 2024 (4-3).

After failing to lose any of their first three LaLiga matches against Atleti (D3), Girona have lost six of their subsequent seven against the Rojiblancos in the competition (W1).

They have won just 10% of their LaLiga games against Simeone’s side (W1 D3 L6), their third-lowest win rate against an opponent they have faced at least five times in the competition, after Real Betis (9% – P11 W1 D4 L6) and Real Sociedad (9% – P11 W1 D6 L4).

And Girona boss Michel Sanchez has lost seven of his nine LaLiga meetings with Simeone (G9 W1 D1) – his highest number of defeats against a single coach in the competition.

However, Atleti have lost their last two away games in LaLiga and have not lost three or more consecutively since January 2024 (L4); the fourth defeat in that run was against Girona (4-3 in January 2024).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Girona – 22.8%

Draw – 23.4%

Atletico Madrid – 53.8%