The 29-year-old has not looked fully at ease in the Catalans’ forward line, with his last goal in La Liga – one of only nine he scored last season – coming in the 4-1 win at Villarreal on July 5.
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Griezmann, who got a goal in the 7-1 friendly thrashing of Ukraine, also scored in the 4-2 Nations League win over Croatia but, ahead of Wednesday’s rematch in Zagreb, he again finds himself facing accusations of poor form for the national team.
In the 0-0 draw with Portugal on Sunday, Griezmann, playing as a No.10 behind Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, managed just two shots and created one chance for team-mates.
“You can’t question a player like Antoine Griezmann because of all he has done and all he has brought to France in recent years,” the Tottenham goalkeeper told reporters on Tuesday.
“All players have ups and downs. There are times when you succeed more than others. He is currently going through a slightly complicated period in attack, but above all, I see a player who is ready to defend and make the effort for his team-mates. There is no question about that.
Lloris is looking forward to Wednesday’s game at Stadion Maksimir, at which a number of fans will be permitted. “The presence of supporters is of course good news,” he added. “There will inevitably be a bit of hostility but, for the French players, it’s a good thing to be able to overcome adversity to win this match. “That’s our goal, in any case. We’ll give everything to give the right performance to win.”