Antoine Griezmann has trained with his Atletico Madrid team-mates ahead of their Champions League clash with Chelsea as their new Wanda Metropolitano home prepares to make its European bow on Wednesday.
The Atletico Madrid players seemed keen not to exert too much energy as they took part in a light training session on Tuesday ahead of their crunch tie with Chelsea.
Diego Simeone’s squad were pictured gathering round in a circle to work on some stretching exercises before moving on to some balancing and passing techniques as Griezmann and Angel Correa stood on top of a stepper and volleyed the ball back to their partners.
Antoine Griezmann trained with his Atletico Madrid team-mates ahead clash with Chelsea
Former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres was pictured working on some leg exercises
Atletico have already won both the games they’ve played at their new stunning 67,000 capacity stadium and Simeone will be eager to improve on that record against the Blues as he looks to make it a fortress, just as they had done at the Vicente Calderon.
His star man Griezmann has looked full of life recently after enduring a tough start to the season. He failed to score in his opening two games and was sent off against Girona and only lasted 79 minutes in their Champions League curtain raiser away to Roma.
But it seems the Wanda has waved its magic wand and given the France international a new lease of life, as ever since the club has moved to their new home in the Rosas neighborhood at San Blas-Canillejas district, his performances have drastically improved.
The Atletico Madrid players gathered around and stretched in a light session on Tuesday
Griezmann, Diego Godin and Angel Correa chat amongst each other in training
Griezmann took part in some balancing and passing techniques during Tuesday’s session
He scored the first ever goal at the stadium in the 1-0 victory over Malaga and followed up with another strike against Sevilla last weekend.
The 26-year-old will be key to their chances of registering a positive result against Antonio Conte side’s, who are expected to line-up tight and compact.
Chelsea will be entering this tie with some confidence, though, after getting their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start by inaliating Qarabag – who look set to be the group’s whipping boys – 6-0 earlier this month.
But in a group that also includes Serie A giants Roma, who will be vying for one of the two qualifying spots themselves, both Ateltico and Chelsea will be eager to pick up the three points and take hold of the early ascendancy.