Insatiable and stainless, Olivier Giroud returns to the semi-finals of the Champions League, two years after lifting the cup with the Blues of Chelsea. It is this time in red and black that the Frenchman, surrounded by his compatriots Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez and Pierre Kalulu, enters the last square, for an amazing derby against Inter this Wednesday (21h, broadcast on Canal + and RMCSport).
To discover
- Champions League schedule and results
Derby surprising because not representative of Serie A, at the level strongly criticized in the country. And because the two Milan clubs are in the rough. The Rossoneri, defending champions, are 5th, two points behind Inter, 4th. If it is so, Milan owes it in part to Rafael Leão, voted best player in Serie A last year. But the Portuguese striker, out on injury against Lazio Roma on Saturday (2-0), is uncertain for this European evening.
Giroud, the talisman of Milan
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We can also play a great game without a decisive player like him, "promised his coach Stefano Pioli who, unless surprised, will count on Giroud at the forefront of his 4-2-3-1. Scorer in the quarter-return at Napoli (1-1, 1-0 victory in the first leg), the world champion was decisive Saturday against Lazio Rome. The years go by and the top scorer in the history of the France team (121 caps, 53 goals) holds firm.
SEE ALSO – Olivier Giroud, the indispensable at AC Milan
Always generous, sometimes clumsy but often where it is needed. Giroud looks like a talisman in Milan, whose league title he validated last year with a double, in the last match at Sassuolo (0-3). This season, he already has 5 goals in 10 C1 matches. One more and it would be his record in a single year, at 36 years old. "It's no longer a question of record for me. My leitmotiv remains pleasure, "he sounded in the columns of L'Équipe last month.
San Siro will have fun, no matter what. It is AC Milan who "receive" this Wednesday, before being considered as the visiting club in the same stadium six days later, for the return leg. Against Napoli, the weight of history had played. The weight of a club in the 7 Champions Leagues (only Real Madrid does better with 14). Difficult to reuse the same ingredient against Inter. But Milan, and especially Giroud, knows the recipe.
