“Difference he makes when starting is clear”, “Has to be one of the first names on the plane to Qatar” – France fans on Twitter in awe of performance from ‘unbelievable’ player during 2-0 win over Austria
France fans took to Twitter to hail striker Olivier Giroud's style of play. The forward linked up impressively with his teammates in their UEFA Nations League clash against Austria on Thursday, September 22.
France went into the fifth matchday of the tournament without a single win, having lost twice and drawn twice. However, a 2-0 win against Austria took them out of the relegation zone, and they have Giroud to thank for it. The forward was a vital piece of the attacking puzzle for Les Bleus, and his incredible performance in the final third did not go unnoticed by the fans.
Apart from creating a goal for Kylian Mbappe in the 56th minute, he also managed to get himself on the scoresheet. A well-taken header in the 65th minute cemented the win for the French.
Here is a selection of tweets from impressed fans:
Giroud is an unbelievable footballer. The difference he makes when starting is clear. He is the focal point & makes others around him better. World class performance & link up with Mbappe so far.
@_OlivierGiroud_ 👏
Olivier Giroud 3 goals away from being France’s all time scorer ⏳
Giroud's CV is gonna be insane when he retires😭
Giroud has to be one of the first names on the plane to Qatar.. it’s a different France when he plays, they’ll regret it if they don’t take him 🌟
Giroud and France National team are a match made from heaven.
OLIVER GIROUD makes FRANCE attacker work effortlessly. He brings other players into play. MBAPPE N GRIEZMANN work well with him
Giroud will always be better than Benzema in a France jersey and I’m not even capping
I still can’t believe chelsea sold Giroud and used the money to buy a big cow from Milan.
Giroud notably played for Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League before making the switch to Serie A, where he now plies his trade with AC Milan.
The forward has had an impressive start to the season, having scored five goals in nine appearances for the Rossoneri.
Giroud will hope he can continue to impress for France and potentially lead the line in the looming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was also part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but had failed to score a single goal.
France beat Austria 2-0 as Giroud showcases masterclass
France went into their match against Austria with a severely depleted squad due to injuries. Many notable names, including Hugo Lloris, Ibrahima Konate, N'Golo Kante, Presnel Kimpembe, and Karim Benzema were all unavailable.
Les Bleus, however, did not relent, even without some of their star players. They saw off their European counterparts and took home a clean sheet to boot.
The game immediately started well for France, with Mbappe putting a curler past Patrick Pentz in the second minute. However, the Paris Saint-Germain attacker was judged to be offside, with VAR also confirming the decision.
While the goals did not come in the first half, Les Bleus had to deal with injuries, adding to the list of players unavailable for the side. Jules Kounde was substituted in the 21st minute, with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba taking his position in the backline.
The breakthrough came for Didier Deschamps' men after the half-time whistle, with Mbappe opening the scoring for his national team. Giroud won possession in the middle third and was quick to play Mbappe in, who gracefully moved past his markers before whipping a powerful shot into the post. Giroud also added his name to the scoreline less than 10 minutes later, powering in a header from Antoine Griezmann's cross to seal the deal for France.