Share

Griezmann targets Champions League glory with Barca

Cape Town - Frenchman Antoine Griezmann says his number one priority this season is winning the Champions League with Barcelona.

The France international is poised to make his second appearance in the competition for Barca on Wednesday night against Antonio Conte's Serie A leaders Inter Milan at the Nou Camp.

"The Champions League is my dream and my main objective," Griezmann told a press conference. "However, we have to take it slowly and pick up three points against Inter."

Griezmann has scored three goals in seven LaLiga appearances since joining Barca in July after paying his £107 million buyout clause but drew a blank in last month's opening Group F fixture, which ended 0-0 in Dortmund.

Inter also drew their first Champions League game, 1-1 on the road against Slavia Prague, but under new boss Conte, who replaced the sacked Luciano Spalletti in May, they have a 100% record after six games in Serie A.

"Antonio Conte is a great coach, who works really hard with his team and gets great results," Griezmann said. "It will be difficult and we will have to play as well as we can to get all three points."

Griezmann said Barca's first home Champions League match of the season will be extra special as he could go head to head with former Atletico Madrid team-mate Diego Godin.

Uruguay defender Godin signed a three-year deal with Inter in July after his Atletico contract had expired.

"We played against each other in the World Cup and I grew as a player a lot alongside him and it is always nice to see someone like him," Griezmann added.

"Godin is a great friend, an example for me and we have a family relationship because he is godfather to my daughter."

Barca pair Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele both remain doubtful due to respective thigh strains, while Ansu Fati, Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti are still unavailable.

Inter, who won 3-1 at Sampdoria on Saturday, will be at full-strength as they bid to win at the Nou Camp for the first time.

"It will be a hard game and we are in a tough group," Conte told a press conference. "It will be interesting. It won't be easy, we know that.

"Slavia made it very difficult for us in our last game. We are ambitious. We want to go far in the competition. To do that, we need the points.

"But playing here is not easy. Barca are one of the best in the world, but we will play our game. We have respect for Barca, they are one of the favourites to win."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
64% - 471 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
36% - 262 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE