France international, Antoine Griezmann admitted that he feels guilty and he went ahead to blame himself following Atletico Madrid's Champions League elimination at the hands of Juventus on Tuesday. The Atletico Madrid striker rued the chance to advance as his side were on the receiving end of a stunning Juventus comeback. The Spanish side entered Tuesday's second leg with a massive advantage after winning the first leg 2-0 in Madrid.
However, Atletico Madrid was immediately put onto the defensive by visiting Juve, who found a way to win 3-0 behind a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. Largely on the defensive, chances were few and far between for Atletico Madrid as Griezmann and Morata had virtually no impact in the attacking end. Griezmann says that he was disappointed with his performance, admitting that he should have dropped back deeper in an effort to get more involved.
"We did not enter the game, we knew it was going to be difficult and we chose a bad day to screw it up," Griezmann told Movistar Liga de Campeones. "Everyone is f****ed up and I feel guilty, because I could not keep up with the pace of the game."
Atletico Madrid were undone, once again, by an incredible Ronaldo performance as the Portuguese star created another memorable Champions League night. Ronaldo's heroics have proved to be Atleti's downfall several times in Champions League play, and Griezmann was quick to praise the forward's efforts while saying his side did not match the intensity of the opposition.
"Cristiano has taken the measure to the whole world because he is a great player," he said. "In the first leg we managed to give him no chances and today he had three and all three went in."
Now, Atleti's focus turns towards La Liga, where they sit seven points behind Barcelona with 12 matches remaining. But, while the club is ready to shift that focus, Griezmann says they will rue Tuesday's performance for quite some time. "I do not know what to say to the fans. We're screwed," he said. "They have been superior at all levels," he added. "We can not let them win 3-0. It has not been our day."
The club return to action Saturday against Athletic Bilbao in a league match as they try to close the gap on Barcelona.
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