HE is not just a pretty face, Olivier Giroud – his finishing can be gorgeous too.
Thomas Tuchel, who has done a spot of male modelling himself, willhave fully appreciated the chiselled striker’s acrobatic strike, whichpropelled Chelsea to within touching distance of a first ChampionsLeague quarter-final in seven years.
Oh my, Olivier Giroud! 😍He just loves scoring worldies, doesn’t he!?VAR initially ruled the goal out but it stands as Mario Hermoso was deemed to have deflected the ball onto the Frenchman 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CAweQ8SzAR
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 23, 2021
Olivier Giroud scored an incredible bicycle kick as Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 1-0Credit: Reuters
The Frenchman celebrates what could turn out to be a crucial away goalCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS
Chelsea players mobbed Giroud after his stunning winnerCredit: AP:Associated Press
Giroud had to agonise for three long minutes before his bicycle kickwas awarded by VAR, having originally been chalked off for offside.
But it was well worth the wait as Tuchel extended his unbeaten run toeight matches with a first-leg defeat of the La Liga leaders inBucharest.
This was his best result to date – and it was fully deserved as theBlues, often naive under previous boss Frank Lampard, were more than amatch for the most streetwise team on the European block.
World Cup-winner Giroud has six Champions League goals this season andthe 34-year-old Frenchman’s experience earned a precious away goal -which still count double in the event of a draw, even without homeadvantage.
The second leg is scheduled for Stamford Bridge March 17 – but that isstill subject to a Covid-related change of venue.
Chelsea have not reached a quarter-final in this competition since2014 – when they were eventually defeated by Atletico in the lastfour.
But Tuchel led Paris St Germain to last summer’s final in abreakthrough European campaign for the filthy-rich French club – andhe clearly has the tactical sharpness to make Chelsea seriouscontenders in Europe’s elite club competition once more.
Diego Simeone’s men had suffered only their second La Liga defeat ofthe season with a shock reverse against Levante and were still withouttheir England full-back Kieran Trippier, due to a ludicrous bettingban.
Luis Suarez and Antonio Rudiger inevitably clashed in RomaniaCredit: AP:Associated Press
Tuchel’s Chelsea has been defensively stout but aside from a narrowwin at an off-colour Tottenham, there had been no serious tests beforethis.
With Atletico, then Manchester United and Liverpool up next, it isgetting serious for the German now – and victory in neutral Bucharestwas an outstanding way to kick off such a series of red-letterfixtures.
Tuchel started Callum Hudson-Odoi at wing-back after his bizarresubstitution at Southampton, half an hour after he’d come off thebench.
And Hudson-Odoi responded with verve and vigour – linking up well withfellow English youngster Mason Mount on several occasions.
It has been a shaky old start for Chelsea – Mount suffered a bookingthat rules him out of the second leg and Edouard Mendy got away witha horrible slip inside the opening two minutes.
Soon Antonio Rudiger was out-muscled and dispossessed by Luis Suarezwho centred across the face of the goal, with Thomas Lemar unable tofinish.
Yet Chelsea were soon passing, moving and probing for an opening.
Mount whistled one across Atletico’s goal, with Werner narrowlyfailing to connect.
Edouard Mendy thwarts Atletico superstar Luis SuarezCredit: EPA
Thomas Tuchel offers instruction during the win in RomaniaCredit: EPA
Timo Werner played a one-two with Giroud and tumbled in the box butneither his fellow German, ref Felix Brych, or the VAR were impressed.
It was one of those typical Atletico performances – solid, stacked indefence but hardly thrilling. They sat back, soaked it up andthundered forward on the occasional counter-attack.
But their defence was finally pierced by a cute Mount pass whichreleased Werner, whose shot was pushed away at the near post by JanOblak.
Marcos Alonso picked out Mount with a gorgeous curling cross but theEngland man was unsure whether to shoot or cross and ended up doingneither.
Still, this was promising stuff from the Blues – Hudson-Odoi and Mountfrequently linking up down the right and causing headaches for theSpanish side.
Mount was in lively form, slipping past a couple of defenders andsending Werner clear but the German getting funnelled wide.
Mason Mount will miss the second-leg after picking up an early booking in BucharestCredit: Rex Features
Neither side were able to break the deadlock in the opening 45 minutesCredit: AP:Associated Press
Joao Felix sent an acrobatic volley over the bar when Atletico broke swiftly.
Suarez was indulging in his usual histrionic villainy, diving andbellyaching to his heart’s content.
But Jorginho was booked – and, like Mount, he will be suspended for the return.
Giroud’s moment arrived on 68 minutes – Mount appeared to have playedhim through, so when the Frenchman unleashed his stunner, the linesmanflagged.
But after a tortuous wait, the remote official decided the last toughhad come off Atletico defender Hermoso – and Chelsea’s celebrationslacked nothing in delirium for the delay.
‘Ansum’, as they say down at the Bridge.
Werner came close to scoring in the first-half but for Jan Oblak’s outstretched gloveCredit: Reuters
Giroud has been a European specialist for Chelsea over the last coupleof seasons.
Every time it has appeared as though his days with the Blues might benumbered, he seems to pop up and produce something special on thecontinent.
With so many of Europe’s superpowers at a low ebb right now, thisfeels like a year when one of England’s contenders could have aserious tilt at lifting Old Big Ears in Istanbul in May.
And with Tuchel at the helm, Chelsea have as good a chance as any of them.
Watch Chelsea fans tease Marcos Alonso with new ‘don’t be slow’ chant as team arrive in Bucharest for Atletico clash More
