Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann says he is improving all the time and aiming to become a "complete player."
When Griezmann, 25, joined Atletico from Real Sociedad for €30 million in 2014 he was an inconsistent winger, but under Diego Simeone he has emerged as a player who regularly scores goals and influences games.
Such progress has led to the France international's emergence as a viable contender to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for individual awards, while he is being tipped to make the podium for this year's Ballon d'Or after finishing up as Euro 2016's top scorer.
"I try to be a complete player -- in attack, in defence -- to improve each year. I have improved in assists, which was very important," Griezmann told reporters after scoring twice in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Rostov, which secured Atletico's passage to the Champions League round of 16.
Griezmann had gone four games without scoring for Atletico, albeit while providing three assists, and said he was happy to be back on the score sheet.
"I had been a few games without scoring so I really wanted to celebrate a goal," he said. "I wanted to score tonight, so I am happy. They are a good team, similar to us in some ways, it was about finding a gap and taking the chances."
There had been doubt inside the Vicente Calderon about whether Griezmann's injury-time winner against Rostov was going to count, but Scottish referee Craig Thomson and his officials got the offside call correct.
"At the start I did not know if it was going to count or not but the referee said it was a good goal," Griezmann said. "But I am very happy, I am in a good moment and in a good place. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't. I am very happy with the win."
Simeone was not so content after the game, telling his postmatch news conference that he was annoyed at himself for mistakes he had made, but without clarifying what errors he was referring to.
Asked about his boss' comments, Atletico left-back Filipe Luis said Simeone had done nothing wrong.
"We did not see it like that," he told reporters. "The boss is our leader and he sets the standard. He warned us about everything that would happen in the match. We did not see him make mistakes. Or at least I saw him do everything right. He will tell us later what happened."
The game saw Atletico have 33 shots to Rostov's four, but they gave up a careless equaliser moments after Griezmann's opening goal, with the winner only coming in the 92nd minute.
"It was a very hard game," Filipe Luis said. "The three points are deserved but it was very difficult to get them. After scoring, when we felt best, we made a mistake and we conceded a goal. But in general the game was under control always and we deserved to win."
Asked about Griezmann's Ballon d'Or chances this year, Filipe Luis said his teammate was focused on ensuring Atletico were successful this season.
"[Griezmann] makes the difference even when he is not scoring goals. He is a player who moves very well between the lines, knows how to read the opposition defence," he said. "He is not thinking about the Ballon d'Or, it does not matter to him. What matters to him is winning [team] trophies. He is one of those outstanding players, without doubt the best we have."