OLIVIER GIROUD channelled his inner Lionel Messi as he broke the deadlock in style against Southampton.
The Chelsea star weaved his way through a sea of defenders and past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to give his side the lead in the FA Cup semi-final.
Olivier Giroud doing his best Lionel Messi impression
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— The Sun Football
With the scores locked at 0-0, the Blues needed a moment of magic to put them ahead at Stamford Bridge.
And that’s exactly what the former Arsenal talisman produced when he received a ball into his feet from Eden Hazard.
The France international twisted and turned his way through a packed penalty area, before slotting the ball into an empty net.
Chelsea fans flocked to Twitter after the goal, with countless fans likening him to Barcelona superstar Messi.
England legend and football pundit Gary Lineker tweeted: “Giroud just turned into Messi… sort of.”
While another amazed fan added: “Wait. Did Chelsea recruit Lionel Messi for this game? That scorer looks like Giroud but certainly played like Messi.”
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The 31-year-old has now scored 15 goals in 26 appearances in the competition since moving to England in 2012/13.
During his time with the Gunners, the Frenchman won the FA Cup title three times.
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Alvaro Morata scored in the 82nd minute at Wembley Stadium to double the tally for Antonio Conte’s side.
The Blues have now booked their spot in the final of the competition, where they will go head-to-head with Manchester United for the silverware.
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