Saturday's El Clasico Could Be Antoine Griezmann's Last Shot at Redemption

Replacing the dazzling Neymar was always going to be a tricky task for Barcelona. Ousmane Dembele has been hampered by injuries, while Philippe Coutinho hasn't lived up to expectations.

And then there's Antoine Griezmann, brought in from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid. All three signed for over £100m each, only for the Blaugrana to end up with a teenager playing at left-wing.

Coutinho is now starting to show glimpses of his best form at the Camp Nou, and Dembele is still just 23 years old. Griezmann, however, is running out of excuses. Last weekend's showing at Getafe - including his terrible first-half miss at 0-0 - was just one of many below-par performances for the Frenchman in the last year.

Even the most staunch defenders of the 29-year-old are struggling to justify his form. He's playing in his preferred position, in a functional team, with loads of creative talent around him - but it's still just not working out. It will take something special for Griezmann to get the fans back on his side.

Thankfully, that something special could be just around the corner. On Saturday, Barcelona welcome arch-rivals Real Madrid to the Camp Nou. It's a game watched by millions around the world; a game in which legends are born. A big performance on a stage like this could be the turning point for Griezmann in Catalonia.

However, there's also a chance that it could all go wrong. A poor performance, coupled with a win for Los Blancos, could be a point of no return for the World Cup winner. To put it simply, he needs to perform.

But where is Griezmann actually going wrong? He's clearly not a bad player. You don't cost €120m for nothing, and he seems to perform every time he plays for France. Furthermore, over the last six seasons, only Lionel Messi has outperformed his expected goals by more in Europe's top five leagues. So...what's going on?

One of the main suggestions is that he's lacking in confidence. It seems bizarre to suggest that the man who coolly rolled a penalty home in a World Cup final and then proceeded to do a Take-the-L dance could buckle under pressure, but here we are.

A season of playing in an unnatural left-wing position under Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien resulted in a series of underwhelming displays, netting just nine league goals. And now, back in his preferred role, he looks a shadow of his former self. It's possible that his failure to live up to expectations has done irreversible damage to his confidence. If that's the case, then maybe he's a lost cause.

Whether or not it's a psychological issue, the perceived feud between him and manager Ronald Koeman surely hasn't helped. The former Real Sociedad forward seemingly aimed a dig at the Dutchman during the last international break, claiming France manager Didier Deschamps "knows where to play me". Koeman responded by saying "the coach is in charge and the players must be at their best when they play".

The truth is no one really knows what's going on behind the scenes, and it's almost impossible to say what the problem is from the outside looking in. However, the upcoming fixture could be make or break for Griezmann.

On Saturday, Griezmann will face a side that he has scored against eight times over the years. If given the opportunity, we all know what he can do. And if he pulls out one of his best displays, it could get the fans back on his side. On the other hand, if he puts in another unimpressive performance, then it may well be the end of the road.