AC Milan and Tottenham, opposed Tuesday in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, share an ultra-dependence on their center forwards: Olivier Giroud and Harry Kane, face to face two months after their epic duel at the 2022 World Cup.
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In Qatar, the match between the two goal hunters had turned in favor of the French, decisive scorer in a balanced quarter-final where the Englishman had missed a penalty at the end of the match, after having put another one before (2 -1).
The last duel in favor of Giroud
The World Cup had ended less well for the record holder of the Blues (53 goals).
He did not score afterwards and was replaced even before the break in the final lost against Argentina, while France was adrift.
This match in the Champions League will also be the occasion for a duel between two men who have often crossed paths during the London derby.
Harry Kane, already at Tottenham, and Olivier Giroud, at Arsenal, in 2015. Panoramic.
Morale at half mast on the return, “Oli” took a few weeks to regain his bite.
Like an insipid AC Milan who chained seven matches without success, in all competitions, and took a few monumental slaps against Inter Milan (3-0) in the Italian Supercup or Lazio (4-0) and Sassuolo (5-2) in the league.
The infernal spiral ended Friday against Torino (1-0) thanks, of course, to a decisive goal from Giroud, his seventh in Serie A. The tifosi were able to resume the song "
Giroud si è girato
" ("
Giroud is returned
”) created last season after a saving double from the Frenchman against Inter Milan (2-1).
Giroud is better, Milan too
Coach Stefano Pioli was able to recall how essential his 36-year-old striker remains, irremovable holder in the prolonged absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “
Oli is a very important player, technically and mentally, he is a leader of this team.
»
There is no doubt that Pioli would like to keep him a little while discussions are underway for an extension of the Isérois contract, free in June.
The agreement should not be too hard to find, the interested party ensuring to feel "
good
" in Milan.
“
I managed to win the hearts of tifosi with important goals.
I feel at home
,” he said in January on
Canal
+, ruling out “
more exotic destinations
” like MLS for the time being.
Kane wears Tottenham
Returning earlier from Qatar, to his chagrin, Harry Kane once again displayed his strength of character to relaunch the assault on the Premier League and bounce back after the missed penalty against the Blues.
It must be said that Tottenham also depends greatly on his goals: the 29-year-old center forward has literally carried Spurs since the start of the season, given the persistent poor form of Son Heung-min.
In the shadow of an inaccessible Erling Haaland, Kane has already scored 17 goals in 23 games, as many as all of last season.
He also became the best scorer in the history of Tottenham with 267 goals in all competitions, during the victory against Manchester City (1-0), on February 5.
Kane in Tottenham history but an uncertain future
This "feat" was marred by the heavy defeat (4-1) at Leicester this weekend, which recalls the irregularity of this team and its immense dependence, since the season, on its striker.
Out of contract in 2024, Kane is at a crossroads in his career.
It shows no signs of wear and certainly still has at least three or four very good seasons ahead of it.
But his desperately blank track record, and the fact that he has nothing left to prove in north London, could make him want to go elsewhere.
Approached very closely by City two years ago, before the place was taken by Haaland, he could again receive a few offers a year from the end of his contract.
He did not rule out extending and remaining the Spurs standard.
But if he wants to be spoiled for choice, the Champions League is the best showcase for him.
A competition where, with 21 goals (in 30 matches), he is only one goal behind Olivier Giroud and his 22 goals (in 52 matches).
