Giroud-Braithwaite, the rebellion of the substitute forward

Denmark's Martin Braithwaite scores against Ferencvaros.ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP

Giroud-Braithwaite.

The penultimate day of the group stage of the Champions League has brought with it the vindication-rebellion of the center forward of all life.

Of the leading attacker who sets and moves center-backs so that his teammates take advantage of his thankless work without forgetting that, due to his position, his first duty is also to score.

They both complied.

The Frenchman from Chelsea with a goal poker and the Danish from Barça with one that adds to the three he had scored in the last two games.

Each one from his own style –their conditions have little in common except that they savor the area–, both currently use common nuances that give more value to their creative response.

They are both substitutes.

Their minute statistics so far this season are meager, but the circumstances - their teams classified in the Champions League and the rest of the starters - opened the doors to the starting eleven for them and they have been noticed.

Sánchez Pizjuán lived the great night of Olivier Giroud (Chambery, France; 34 years old).

Four goals.

Three goals in play with shots from the left, right and head and one from set pieces (penalty), with his left foot, his dominant leg.

The previous week, the French international, a starter in his national team but not in his team, had scored the winning goal in Rennes, which led to the London team qualifying for the round of 16.

The last Chelsea player to score four goals in a game was, precisely, his current manager, Frank Lampard, in March 2010 at Aston Villa.

Giroud has not started in any Premier League game and in the five he has entered on the fly he has added 47 minutes.

Against Sevilla it was his first inclusion in the starting eleven in the Champions League after having played two times against Rennes.

A strong forward, 193 centimeters, with good movements in short spaces, mastery of the shot on the edge of the area, good associative game behind his back and a great header, Olivier intends to leave Chelsea in the winter market.

His ownership in the Eurocup is at stake.

The French coach, Didier Deschamps, has already let him know that if he continues to play so little his position is not guaranteed.

However, he also recognizes that he is the best ally for Griezmann and Mbappé, who feel comfortable with a forward of their characteristics ahead.

Martin Braithwaite (Esbjerg, Denmark, 29 years old) has not played much more for Barcelona so far this year.

Before starting against Dinamo Kiev the week before, he had played one minute against Juventus in the Champions League and before repeating a start against Osasuna in LaLiga, he had collected 44 minutes in his five appearances.

In a week he has started three games and has scored four goals, three with his right, his dominant foot, and one with his left.

Against Ferencváros, he had the detail of letting Dembélé shoot the penalty they had given him, after scoring another in Kiev.

Braithwaite has appeared in these three opportunities as a starter as a forward who knows how to harmonize the Barça attack.

Easy to move to spaces - he likes to move - Martin tries to never lose his central zone of influence, allowing him to reach the area whenever the occasion arises.

After trying with Messi, Griezmann and the injured Ansu Fati as a mobile offensive reference, which is understood as the false center forward, Koeman tried a more classic, more fixed 9, and the results could not be better.

Messi, Griezmann, Dembélé ... have improved their performance, have seen the door and the interested party has scored four goals.