Olivier Giroud is to go hungry or binge. While others, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, live in a constant marriage with the goal, Chambéry's is more of occasional dabbling. A night of passion in Seville with the Sánchez Pizjuán networks that yields more than remarkable numbers compared to his career.
His poker yesterday that he achieved by finishing from the ground in the first, defining with an elegant chop in the second, heading in the third and from eleven meters to make the fourth, contrast with the data released in previous complete editions of the League of Champions or other tournaments.
Only counting on the Pizjuán party, Giroud has already scored more goals than in up to five previous editions of the Champions League of all those he has played throughout his career. In 12/13 he played seven games and scored two goals, in the next edition, he traced his performance as well as a little more in the two qualifying games. In 14/15, three games between the tournament and qualifying phase with a goal and in 16-17 he again exceeded five games, celebrating just twice the power to overcome the rival goal. In 17-18, he reached mid-season with Chelsea and only played once and in the last edition, he did not score in the three games he was on the green.
This drought has been experienced in the Champions League but also in the Europa League. In 17-18 he stayed on three goals in six meetings with Arsenal before moving to Chelsea. This data contrasts with his excellent performance in the following campaign, where he would be the top scorer of the tournament with eleven goals being key to the achievement of the title for Sarri's.
His numbers tonight in Seville even exceed his performance in regular tournaments.. In the 18-19 Premier League, he did not exceed two goals in 27 games and at the dawn of his career, when he was still playing in the Second French League, he lived through a long drought during 06-07, scoring just twice in 17 games. It is also worth remembering one of his best-known chapters of his career in the national team: his victory in the 2018 World Cup in Russia playing practically every minute (he was only a substitute in the opening match against Australia) in which He did not score even once but, he fought with all the centrals to open holes for Griezmann, Mbappé and company. A battering ram knocking down walls almost literally.
Giroud, as far as the goal is concerned, understands little of gray alternating times of drought and days of bonanza, since throughout his career there are no shortage of great nights. Since he started in professional football he has achieved two other poker (with Tours in 2009 vs Athletic Club Arlésien (4-2) and vs SS Jeanne d 'Arc (1-7)), up to six hat-tricks (vs Dinamo Kiev in 2019, vs Paraguay in 2017, vs Aston Villa in 2016, vs Olympiacos in 2015 and vs Sochaux and vs Valenciennes in 2011) and 31 doublets.
Although regularity on goal has not been his strong suit during his career, he does have two top scorer trophies in a regular tournament. The Frenchman was the best striker in Ligue 1, when he won the League with Montpellier and went to 21 goals, and in Ligue 2, when he shone with Tours. His best scoring year among all competitions was, curiously, none of these. He arrived in the 12/11 campaign in which he scored 25 goals in 42 games. A special tip.