Arsenal‘s French forward Olivier Giroud (center) celebrates scoring 0-3 with teammates during the UEFA Champions League Group F football match between Olympiacos and Arsenal at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.
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Wolfsburg may have lost their best player in the summer when Kevin De Bruyne joined Manchester City, but the 2014/15 Bundesliga runners-up are still a very good team, proven by the fact they dumped Manchester United out of the competition with a 3-2 win on matchday six. “Not many people gave us a chance but we are a real team”.
At most Arsenal needed just one more goal to go through, but Giroud got them two for good measure, stabbing home after good work from Joel Campbell just after half-time and sealing the result when he stroked home a penalty with 25 minutes remaining.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “We had a ideal performance on the tactical and mental side too”.
“It will make us stronger and strengthen the belief of the squad”, he said.
Moreover, the win preserved Arsenal’s superb record in the Champions League, having now qualified for the competition’s second stage for the 16th time in succession, and that will be a tradition they are keen to continue. We knew we had to push for the third goal because it’s very risky at 2-0, and we had the ideal game.
“Luck is part of the game and in the Premier League we have been unlucky”. Europe will have seen that performance and I think a lot of teams will want to avoid us now after that. That is not easy because they are a good side.
Giroud then netted a penalty in the 69th minute to seal Arsenal’s place in the last 16 for the 16th season in a row, although finishing second in their group exposes them to the possibility of being drawn against Real Madrid or Barcelona in the next round. “We will have a good rest and open the new page of the Champions League in February”.
“If you look at the players who were out and the kind of performance we produced, the performance is absolutely outstanding”, he added. “He showed skill and character…” Only two players have ever scored away hat-tricks for Arsenal in the Champions League: Thierry Henry and now Giroud.
“We always felt we would go through, we believed we would win the game and stay in this competition”.
“The supporters are unbelievable in their support towards me and I feel sorry I can not give them more than I am giving them”.
The Champions League and Europa League draws for the knockout rounds will take place on Monday December 14.
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They needed to win in Greece by two goals and Olivier Giroud’s hat-trick made sure they did just that. We knew we could conceded a goal and still qualify.
