Many players don’t go under the spotlight no matter how hard they work or how well they perform.
Some call them underrated, others just mediocre, but in fact, they might have been very valuable for their clubs physically and technically and mentally.
The opinions on Olivier Giroud have always been controversial.
Still, given his record of 550 professional games, 221 goals, and 81 assists, it is difficult to deny that his career has been quite successful so far.
Starting from France’s Ligue 2 and Ligue 1, the Frenchman moved on to leave his mark at Arsenal and continue his Premier League journey with Chelsea, scoring 90 PL goals and assisting 32 more.
He just won the Champions League with the Blues before taking a step towards Serie A by signing a two-year contract with AC Milan.
At 34 years old, with all his achievements behind him, Giroud still faces disrespect and admits that he is still being underrated.
“There is nobody who will be praised by everybody.
You know it is part football, part of the game.” Giroud told Stadium Astro.
“Maybe sometimes I am underrated, but the most important thing is the numbers.
For a striker, that is what matters.
As long as I am efficient for my club and Les Bleus and making my family proud, the rest I concede.”
Now that he’s joined Milan, the comparisons with Zlatan Ibrahimović have started, and the Frenchman has to prove himself once again.
In this scout report, which is a tactical analysis, we will examine Giroud’s strengths and explain how he could adapt to Pioli’s tactics and increase the team’s explosiveness in front of the goal.
Giroud vs Ibrahimović data comparison
Ibrahimović has been very efficient with Rossoneri’s shirt so far, and despite his injury last season, Pioli has built his team around him as their main goalscorer.
While Giroud is expected to be a supporting system for the younger players and might not be a regular starter, it is worth comparing both players’ data to see if they are interchangeable.
The fact that Milan are participating in the Champions League this season makes the Frenchman’s arrival even more necessary, bringing more depth and experience in attack.
The similarities between both strikers are clear—they are both target men, and whenever they play, they are used as the main source of chances in front of the goal.
With great physicality, hold up play and aerial presence they do have some similar characteristics.
What’s not shown by the data is the differences in their style of play.
While the Swede is much more versatile in his movement outside the box, supporting the team’s ball progression with his hold-up play, Giroud is more limited to the box area, where he provides the most threat with his runs and positioning, although he does contribute with link-up play, too.
This is also confirmed by their 2020/21 “Passing” data below.
While their overall passing accuracy is similar, Ibrahimović’s support to his teammates and his impact on the final third actions is illustrated in his Through passes, Passes to the final third, and Passes to the penalty area.
As shown, Giroud’s average contribution in that matter is closer to zero, while his new teammate provides more threatening passes on average.
