Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is the man of the moment in European football following his sterling performance for the Blues during their Champions League match with Sevilla on Wednesday night.
The match turned out to be the Giroud Show as the French international scored all the four goals to lead the Blues to a 4-0 win away from home thereby smashing several Champions League records in the process.Olivier Giroud was given a rare Chelsea start this season by manager Frank Lampard and he took full advantage of the opportunity as he led his club to the victory that secured their spot as Group E leaders.
His first goal came after eight minutes off an assist from Kai Havertz before he doubled the Blues’ advantage via a chip on 55 minutes. Olivier Giroud converted N’Golo Kante’ cross to seal his hattrick after 75 minutes before he won and scored a penalty nine minutes later for his and Chelsea’s fourth goal.
At the age of 34 and two months, Olivier Giroud became the oldest player to score a hattrick in the Champions League with his goals against Spanish La Liga giants Sevilla during their Champions League matchday five clash. Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas still holds the record for the oldest player to score at least three goals in both the European Cup and the Champions League, the revised format of the European Cup. Puskas scored a hattrick at the age of 38 years and 173 days in 1965.
Giroud is now the second French player to score two Champions League hattricks after Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Blues boss Frank Lampard was the last player to score four goals for Chelsea in a game until Giroud matched that feat against Sevilla yesterday. Frank Lampard had scored four goals against Villa in 2010.