Olympiacos 0-3 Arsenal: Olivier Giroud's superb hat-trick seals Champions League last-16 spot for Arsene Wenger's Gunners

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Much like Arsenal’s Champions League campaign, it initially appeared to be all over for Olivier Giroud on Wednesday night.

Just minutes into the second-half he viciously twisted an ankle attempting a clearance on the run from deep, and lay struggling on the turf. His goalkeeper, Petr Cech, came over to offer words of support and covertly assess the situation.

His expression did not suggest good news. The home crowd bayed. Giroud received several minutes of treatment and rose, gingerly. He made his way to the halfway line to prepare to return. Few thought he would last long if he did. Around a minute later, he had the tie won for Arsenal. It was one hell of a comeback — an echo of Arsenal’s progress through this group. 

Olivier Giroud was the hero for Arsenal as he scored a hat-trick to see them past Olympiacos and into the knockout stages

The Frenchman scored all three goals as Arsenal rescued their Champions League hopes with a vital victory in Athens on Wednesday

Giroud celebrates his hat-trick with team-mate Theo Walcott after helping Arsenal secure progress in the Champions League

It was a remarkable turnaround from Giroud as he went from almost being taken off injured to claiming the match ball

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger celebrated in a reserved manner after his team rescued their Champions League campaign

It included two straight defeats to begin with, a six-goal humbling in Munich at the midway stage and the final challenge of winning by two goals here. Victory alone was not enough. A 1-0 scoreline, or even 2-1 and Arsenal would be joining Manchester United for the delights of Thursday night football.

Instead, they won through — in second place as is eye-rollingly typical, although a pairing with Bayern Munich does offer mitigation on that front. Tough opponents may await in the last 16, too, perhaps Barcelona, Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid. Yet this has been a remarkable revival, not far short of Liverpool’s turnaround having taken one point from their first three group games in 2007-08.

Arsenal were a little better off, having beaten Bayern at home on matchday three, but with three defeats in four matches, they knew only maximum points and specific margins of victory to end would do. That they delivered on this demand, with a little extra into the bargain, is greatly to their credit.

Giroud, from looking as if he had no further part to play, was the hero of the night. He scored his first hat-trick for the club, including a quite magnificent header for the opener after 29 minutes. That was the most crucial one, preying on Olympiacos’s fragility and sending Arsenal confidently towards half-time. They scored four minutes after the restart and never looked back. After a bright opening, Olympiacos crumbled quickly. 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP F TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

 

 

Olivier Giroud, whose heat map is shown above, was Arsenal's hero on Wednesday - CLICK HERE FOR MATCH ZONE FROM ATHENS

Olympiacos supporters created an intimidating atmosphere hoping their team could do enough to qualify for the knockout stages

Giroud headed Arsenal into the lead in the 29th minute against Olympiacos in the Champions League Group F clash

The Frenchman glanced a header goalwards that just had enough on it to beat Olympiacos goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez Gago

Jimenez Gago got a hand on Giroud's header but it wasn't enough to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net

Giroud runs off to celebrate after giving Arsenal the lead in Athens in their vital matchday six clash with Olympiacos

Arsenal’s third, a penalty, left this raucous ground silent and stunned. Champions League arithmetic meant, at that point, Olympiacos needed three goals in 24 minutes. It was all over.

Giroud, rightly, steals the headlines, but Joel Campbell deserves enormous credit on his return to the club where he made his name, on loan. An eye-catching performance for Olympiacos against Manchester United close to three years ago proved his potential as a Premier League player, but last night confirmed he was now very much at home in an Arsenal shirt. 

Campbell’s wit and skill were crucial to the third goal, he also switched wings, and was Arsenal’s main creative force.

It was Campbell who set up the chance that gave first indication the balance was tipping in Arsenal’s favour, cutting the ball back for Mathieu Flamini in the 24th minute. His shot was accurate but clipped defender Manuel da Costa and spun up and on to the bar. 

Arsene Wenger swirled around in frustration on the touchline but his angst was greatly reduced when, five minutes later, Giroud gave Arsenal the lead.

The second may be considered more eye-catching for Campbell’s involvement, but the opener was the goal of the night. Perhaps goalkeeper Roberto could have done better at his near post, but he probably doesn’t come across many headers of the ball as powerful as Giroud.

A lovely pass began it and no prizes for guessing the identity of the man who played that — Mesut Ozil — picking out Nacho Monreal on a run down the left. 

His cross was good but Giroud’s finish was close to perfection, a stooping header with the vicious power of a shot that appeared to take the Spanish goalkeeper by surprise. He got his hands behind it, but could not stop the ball squirming into the net. And Olympiacos squirmed with it.

The Frenchman slotted into the bottom corner from Joel Campbell's low cross into the box early in the second half

The ball passed Olympiacos goalkeeper Jimenez Gago before he could move as Giroud scored a vital goal to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead

The striker celebrates his second goal, one that put Arsenal in pole position to qualify for the Champions League last 16

A fitter Theo Walcott could have taken greater advantage of their apprehension. Wenger said he didn’t think the player had 90 minutes in him, escalating his return from injury with the stakes high, and at times it looked as if he might not make it to half-time. He took a heavy tackle early and found the floor on several occasions, but Wenger is not blessed with attacking options right now and saw Walcott as a chance worth taking. If only he had in turn taken his 38th-minute chance, riding two tackles on route to goal before finishing with a low shot, wide and weak.

Yet the one upside for Arsenal was knowing exactly what they needed to do to progress while, often, Olympiacos seemed caught in two minds. Should they push for the win, or the draw, or try to hold what they had? Early on they attempted to get in behind Arsenal, by the end of the first half their attacks were more tentative, shooting from range, hanging back, anxious not to get caught on the break.

They were a threat at times, though. The game was two minutes old when Felipe Pardo sprang Arsenal’s offside trap only to blast wastefully over. Seba shot above the bar in the 20th minute, left back Arthur Masuaku had a shot from 25 yards which forced a save from Cech — his first of the night — and Laurent Koscielny diverted a cross just over his bar. But the difference in the teams was summed up when Ideye Brown, late of West Brom, had a good chance in the second half, but stepped on the ball. Giroud’s finishing was, in comparison, a different class. 

Giroud completed his hat-trick midway through the second half when he converted a penalty to put Arsenal 3-0 ahead

Giroud sent the Olympiacos goalkeeper the wrong way with his spot kick in the 67th minute to give Arsenal a commanding lead

The striker turned away with a smile on his face as Arsenal avoided a group stage elimination from the Champions League

Yet it was Campbell who made it happen for him in the 49th minute. He turned Ozil’s high, hopeful ball into a goal, dragging it down and holding off two challenges with great composure, before slipping the perfect pass into the path of Giroud as he made a late run into the box. This finish was smart; his next was deadly to Olympiacos.

Much moaning from the home team, but referee Nicola Rizzoli got it right. Omar Elabdellaoui threw himself at Monreal’s cross, arms outstretched but head turned. This is a risk a defender takes and he cannot complain if it costs. The ball struck Elabdellaoui firmly on the arm and Rizzoli pointed to the spot. Giroud stepped up, scored, and Arsenal were through.

It was fully deserved — and the same can be said of the booking for Olympiacos winger Kostas Fortounis in the ninth minute. Even by the standards of this competition it was a despicable, outrageous dive, and Rizzoli was again correct to show a yellow card.

Football could do without cheats and if Fortounis joins Tottenham, as some expect, next year, he can expect a lively reception on his next visit to the Emirates. For all sorts of reasons.