The Frenchman scored a perfect hat-trick against Dynamo Kiev
Friday 15 March 2019 00:51, UK
Olivier Giroud continued his excellent Europa League form with a hat-trick against Dynamo Kiev as Chelsea won 5-0 in Ukraine to seal an 8-0 aggregate victory.
Giroud has only found the net once in 20 Premier League appearances this season, but it has been an altogether different story in Europe.
His hat-trick took him to nine Europa League goals in nine games, making him the top scorer in the competition as Chelsea head into the last eight.
Giroud got his first goal of the night in the early stages at the Kiev Olympic Stadium, firing home from close range after Ruben Loftus-Cheek had flicked on Willian's corner.
The Frenchman doubled Chelsea's advantage - and his own tally - when he finished coolly from Marcos Alonso's low cross later in the first half, and he completed his hat-trick after the break, heading home another Willian delivery.
With nine goals in the competition, Giroud is one ahead of Red Bull Salzburg's Munas Dabbur andSevilla's Wissam Ben Yedder, with Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic next on seven.
Giroud's headed third goal against Dynamo Kiev made it a perfect hat-trick following his left-footed opener and right-footed second, and it also represented his second treble in European competition after he scored three times for Arsenal in a Champions League clash with Olympiakos in December 2015.
Giroud's prolific European form is good news for Chelsea as they seek an alternative route into next season's Champions League. Gonzalo Higuain remains first choice in the Premier League, but Giroud is certainly making a strong case for more chances.
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