This Tuesday evening, the Champions League offers a particularly tasty reunion for Olivier Giroud. Opposed to his former club Arsenal under the tunic of LOSC, the French international is preparing to return to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium, a theater he knows like the back of his hand. But for this clash at the top against the Gunners, the 2018 world champion will once again have to be patient and sit on the bench at kick-off.
Starting last Saturday in Ligue 1 against Le Havre, the French striker therefore understood that Ayase Ueda would be preferred for the clash against the finalist of the last Champions League. During the international break, Olivier Giroud clearly displayed on the bench: “Yes (I want to play against Arsenal)! The coach keeps saying that we can both play but in the last three matches, I sat on the bench. He must not think that I will be satisfied with that (laughs). But I’m so happy to go to Emirates, it’s great. Honestly, I dreamed of it. »
For the oldest French attacker, facing Arsenal in his new northern colors was an absolute priority from the draw phase. Present at a press conference on the eve of the match, the Lille number 9 returned to this wish granted: “It was something I wanted knowing that we qualified for the Champions League. I knew that Milan and Chelsea were not in the game so I was secretly hoping to come back here at the Emirates and I am very lucky. »
Lille hopes to open its counter
But beyond the scent of emotion and nostalgia, the sporting stakes remain colossal for the Mastiffs. Faced with the armada trained by Mikel Arteta, led by in-form players like Gyökeres, Saka and Ödegaard, Lille looks like a challenger, determined to unlock its score after its inaugural defeat against Betis Sevilla.
Asked about the northerners’ chances of achieving the feat in London, Olivier Giroud was obviously cautious: “I wouldn’t know how to put a percentage but if we are here it’s because we feel we have our place here. We will arrive with a lot of humility, obviously, but also with the desire to shake up this team and with ambitions. Assessing our chances, I don’t know, but one thing is certain: we will need Losc at his best. At his best if we want a chance to win this match and hold on to this very good Arsenal team. »
While the Lille team composition sees Ueda occupy the forefront of the attack supported by Haraldsson, Bakwa and Perrin, Olivier Giroud will retain his role as an experienced super-sub. Ready to turn the match on its head when he came on, he knows better than anyone that history often has a good ending in store for former Emirates heroes.
