Not Ronaldo or Messi, but this is the striker Van Dijk is most fearful of whenever he faces him.
“Giroud is the most deadly attacker I’ve ever encountered. You always believe you can grab and block Giroud, but he always finds a way to score. Giroud’s goal scoring methods are highly diversified; he may use his head, foot, or knee. When facing me, Giroud always scores,” Liverpool player Van Dijk told France Football.
Although Van Dijk admires Giroud, the French striker has only scored twice against the teams that the Dutch midfielder plays for. Giroud first defeated Van Dijk in the 2019/20 season, when Chelsea fell 3-5 to Liverpool in the Premier League.
Giroud’s second goal came against Van Dijk in the UEFA Nations League encounter between France and the Netherlands.
Giroud is 37 years old and has played for Arsenal and Chelsea. He is now playing for AC Milan. As Van Dijk said, Giroud has taken on a new role as a persistent menace in front of the opposing goal. Currently, the French striker has 10 goals in all competitions for AC Milan in the 2023-24 season.
In addition to Giroud, Van Dijk named many other strong opponents, including Sergio Aguero, Erling Haaland, and Gabriel Jesus. Surprisingly, the Dutch midfielder disregarded Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two most prolific scorers of the past decade. At the 2022 World Cup, Van Dijk’s Netherlands will meet Argentina’s Messi.
