London (AFP)

Olivier Giroud goes out of his way: author of a quadruple in Seville (4-0), the Chelsea striker entered a very closed club in the Champions League on Wednesday, sending a strong message to the competition, among the Blues or among the Blues.

The least we can say is that Giroud does not make Franck Lampard's press conferences very easy.

Almost every time he offers him playing time, the Frenchman shines and the English technician feels obliged to justify why he does not make him play more.

"I am delighted for him," Lampard assured.

"It's an incredible performance. Scoring four goals at this level, in the Champions League, against a very good opponent (...), he deserved the ovation he received" from the players and the staff, he added, the match being behind closed doors.

There is no doubt that Lampard was sincere.

One had only to see his frank smile and his enthusiastic applause on the sidelines after Giroud's third goal, to be convinced.

This match as holder, preferred to Tammy Abraham, Giroud had almost offered it with his decisive goal at the very end of the match in Rennes (2-1), which had secured the Blues ticket for the eighth.

- Ears and tail -

In one of the strongholds of bullfighting, Giroud first planted three pretty banderillas: a control sequence from the right, ball wrapped from the left (1-0, 8th), a delicious ball stung from the right above the goalkeeper , after a clearance dribble (2-0, 54th) and his "special", a powerful header just under the bar (3-0, 74th).

Like a toreador who is offered the bull's tail and ears, Jorginho, the usual shooter, left Giroud with a penalty in the 83rd minute that made the Frenchman the first Chelsea player to score a quadruple in 10 years. and a certain ... Frank Lampard.

Giroud thus joins among the great scorers in the history of the C1 Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andreï Chevtchenko or Ruud van Nistelrooy, all authors of four goals in the same match.

As eight days ago, Lampard could only hire in Giroud an "ultimate professional".

"He was not playing regularly when I arrived, but I immediately felt his positive side as a player, his way of wanting to influence people, whether he starts the match or not," recalled the technician.

Not necessarily enough to make him a lasting holder, but in any case the guarantee of better playing time in what is the major objective of the 34-year-old striker: to secure his place in the 23 French for the Euro in summer 2021.

- Martial loses ground -

And the evening was all the more profitable from this point of view as his main competitor for this position in blue, Anthony Martial, was very clumsy with Manchester United, wasting two huge opportunities at 1-1 against PSG .

During the last international window already, Martial had "harvested" several opportunities against Portugal.

Some would say that a striker who creates chances is already a dangerous striker, but Giroud's double in the next game against Sweden - a lesser opponent and in a game without a stake - still struck a chord.

"This is a case apart, with (Giroud) we have the impression that he must always prove himself," Didier Deschamps said, who has always shown his confidence in "Olive".

The coach also assured that "Anthony Martial (had) not lost points, both won" during the November streak.

But Martial certainly lost some on Wednesday in the mind of his coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and may not often play in the axis with Manchester United, now that Edinson Cavani has regained all his ardor and his legs.

© 2020 AFP