MADRID: 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 Julián Álvarez 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 they host Getafe with a chance to reach the top of the standings.
Atletico trail leader Barcelona by three points and are one point behind second-placed Real Madrid. Atletico and Madrid have a game in hand compared to Barcelona. The Catalan club host Leganes on Sunday, while Madrid visit 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.
Álvarez 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 Álvarez — 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 have outscored opponents 30-7 across all competitions. They have scored three or more goals in each of their 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 are performing excellently,” Álvarez 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.”

PARIS: Wolfsburg romped to a 6-1 win over Roma in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday to book their place in the quarterfinals, while eight-time victors Lyon hammered Galatasaray.

Four goals inside the final 25 minutes from Sveindis Jonsdottir secured Wolfsburg second spot in Group A as they moved three points ahead of Roma and boast a better head-to-head record against the Italians.

“I’m extremely happy and extremely proud that we’re through,” said Wolfsburg forward Alexandra Popp.

“We made life very difficult for ourselves with the result from the game in Rome. But to have a game like this... I’m just super proud.”

On matchday one, the Romans won 1-0 against Wolfsburg in Italy but the two-time champions now have a superior record thanks to their heavy win at home.

The Germans next face leaders Lyon in the final round of group-stage matches on Dec. 17, but with nothing at stake.

The French side have a perfect five wins from five after their 6-0 demolition of bottom side Galatasaray and sit six points clear in the group.

In Germany, Popp opened the scoring early for Wolfsburg, before Valentina Giacinti equalized shortly after halftime.

Lineth Beerensteyn put the Wolves back in front after the hour and Jonsdottir then bagged four to give the win a sheen.

The Iceland forward came off the substitutes’ bench on 66 minutes and netted her first just two minutes later.

She then scored three in the final five minutes to bring Wolfsburg up to nine points.

“I’m going to let all the girls write something on this (match) ball — I’m really happy! I’ll probably never forget about it,” said Jonsdottir.

In Istanbul, six different players were on the scoresheet for Lyon as they ran riot at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Ada Hegerberg and Sara Daebritz scored inside the opening 30 minutes, before a Jazmin Jackmon own-goal made it 3-0 by the break.

Captain Wendie Renard, Danielle van de Donk and Eugenie Le Sommer completed the scoring in the second half.

Le Sommer’s 76th-minute strike brought up a significant milestone for the 35-year-old as it was her 50th goal in the Champions League.

“It would be too early to say that we are the favorites for the cups before the end of the season, but we are making good progress,” Lyon coach Joe Montemurro told UEFA’s website.

“We’ve had a good start to the season, but the important thing is to maintain this.”

In Group B, the already-qualified Chelsea and Real Madrid both won to set up a blockbuster final group game next week, where the winners of the pool will be decided.

The English champions will travel to Madrid in pole position on Dec. 17, holding a three-point advantage after defeating Real 3-2 at home on the first matchday.

Chelsea maintained their 100 percent record on Wednesday as they waltzed to a 6-1 win against Dutch club Twente.

Madrid moved to 12 points with a 3-0 win at Celtic thanks to a brace from Danish attacker Signe Bruun and a late Alba Redondo header.