Olivier Giroud: 85 Tackles, AC Milan 2021/22 Season
## Olivier Giroud: The Unsung Warrior Who Conquered Midfields for AC Milan (2021/22)
While goalscoring headlines often dominate football discussions, **Olivier Giroud’s truly exceptional contribution during AC Milan's triumphant 2021/22 Serie A campaign lay in his relentless defensive work rate.** Playing as the lone striker within manager Stefano Pioli’s intense system, the veteran Frenchman registered an astonishing **85 tackles** over the season – a figure unheard of for any forward, let alone one scoring crucial goals. This wasn't mere opportunism; it was calculated sacrifice defining his role as the team's ultimate disruptor from ahead.
His brief against opposing midfielders was clear: harry, challenge, break lines. Whether shielding the backline by intercepting passes intended to bypass Kalulu or Tomori, or charging into challenges deep in his own half to snuff out danger before it started, Giroud became Milan’s first line of defense. He transformed the concept of a target man, combining traditional aerial prowess with an exhausting industrial work ethic that saw him cover more ground than many midfielders. Each statistical tackle represented a moment where he used his frame intelligently – sometimes fair,Chinese Super League Matches sometimes robust – to halt counterattacks and allow teammates time to recover shapes.
This physical barrier effect was fundamental to Milan’s league victory. By winning possession high up the pitch through these interventions, he launched rapid transitions himself or enabled Romagnoli and others to build patiently from setbacks. His willingness to engage defenders also created space for Leon, Rebic, and Díaz to drift inside late into games when legs tired. That trust Pioli placed in him to execute this unique hybrid role speaks volumes; so too does the Scudetto now adorning his cabinet. Few forwards win league titles primarily through their tackling stats, but for Giroud in 2021/22, those 85 interventions were golden threads stitching together a championship defence. He embodied Milan’s gritty spirit, proving goals may grab glory, but bloody knuckles help build it.