Griezmann harkens Messi, LeBron in Barca win

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:21 am

With Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez watching from the stands, Antoine Griezmann came through for Barcelona by scoring twice to lead the Catalan club to its first Spanish league win of the season with a 5-2 rout of Real Betis on Sunday.

Griezmann celebrated his second goal by going near the Barcelona fans and throwing glitter into the air like NBA star LeBron James.

"I like LeBron's ritual and I tried to imitate him," Griezmann said. "I wanted to copy that. I bought the confetti on the Internet with my family."

Barca player ratings: Griezmann brilliant in rout over Betis

The newly signed France forward had already scored the first goal for Barcelona after Betis opened the scoring at Camp Nou.

"I see Leo Messi score goals like that in training and I tried to copy him, " Griezmann said after the match.

Antoine Griezmann celebrated his second goal in the style of LeBron James by tossing blue-and-red confetti into the air.
David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

Carles Perez, Jordi Alba and Arturo Vidal also scored for Barcelona. Nabil Fekir and Loren Moron scored for Betis.

Barcelona had lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao last weekend for its first opening league defeat in a decade.

Messi had already missed the opener because of a calf injury, while Suarez got hurt before halftime in Bilbao. Forward Ousmane Dembele also was out injured.

Griezmann, who joined from Atletico Madrid for €120 million in the offseason, had started at Barcelona with a lacklustre performance in the opener. But he took charge on Sunday, scoring his first goal after sliding to a cross from Sergi Roberto in the 41st minute.

Griezmann's second came in the 50th with a well-placed left-footed shot that curled into the far corner, just out of reach of Betis goalkeeper Dani Martín. Griezmann was handed glitter from someone who appeared to be a Barcelona staff member behind the goal, then threw it up in the air.

Forward Ansu Fati, 16, made his senior-team debut with Barcelona as a second-half substitute, becoming the second youngest to play with the club in the Spanish league.

"A lot was said after the loss in Bilbao. When you lose there has to be a big reaction," Griezmann said. "We had to work hard. We really wanted to play another game.

"When so many players are missing the team has to step up. And that was the case. I can't do these things on my own. We're a team and it's thanks to my teammates. The good thing is that if there are injuries, those that come into the team respond. You've seen that today."

Barcelona's Sergio Busquets was substituted in the 72nd with an apparent injury.

ESPN FC's Sam Marsden and the Associated Press contributed to this report.