Olivier Giroud has struggled to inspire confidence in recent months but the Arsenal centre-forward has the perfect chance to build some momentum for France at the European Championship this summer. Giroud scored just one goal in ten matches before netting a hat-trick for the Gunners on the final day of the campaign. Could this inspire Didier Deschamps to select Giroud from the start this summer? Only time will tell…
On paper, France’s squad is arguably the best in the competition – it’s certainly on par with Spain and Germany. But if you had to pick one weak link, it would probably be Giroud. If truth be told, the Arsenal man isn’t even guaranteed a spot in Deschamps’ starting line-up – especially as Antoine Grizemann has been in sensational form for Atletico Madrid this season.
In fact, Bookies.com have backed the Atletico star in their Euro 2016 tips to play a key role for France as they seek a third European Championship title. Griezmann led his club to the Champions League final but missed a crucial penalty in normal time as city rivals Real Madrid were crowned champions for the 11th time. However, he could bounce back and enjoy a successful tournament for the national side.
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he could surprise a few this summer. The Arsenal striker could view this as a chance to build confidence and momentum ahead of what could be a defining season for the Gunners. As of August, Arsene Wenger’s men will be fighting on multiple fronts and Giroud is likely to have competition at the forefront of Arsenal’s attack.
While Griezmann is almost certainly a better tip for the Golden Boot award, Bookies.com still suggest that Giroud will have a crucial part to play for France throughout the competition. He probably won’t start every game but the Arsenal forward has plenty of potential and his aerial threat could give Deschamps another dimension in attack, should he need to mix up France’s style of play.
On current form, Giroud would do well to displace Griezmann as France’s main focal point in attack. However, Deschamps has always been fond of the Arsenal man and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Giroud feature heavily for France this summer. And who knows, a positive tournament could see him return to Arsenal a changed man in August…
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