Virgil Van Dijk named “annoying” ex-Arsenal star his hardest opponent
Virgil van Dijk is among the finest defenders of his era. The Dutchman has received all of it in English soccer and he has usually executed so with out even breaking a sweat. However that does not imply that he is breezed by means of his time at Liverpool with out squaring off towards some extremely tough opponents.
The Premier League took a breath of anticipation when Erling Haaland and Van Dijk discovered themselves one-on-one at Anfield not so way back in a battle that ended with the Norwegian’s wayward shot. In the meantime, Cristiano Ronaldo has by no means even scored towards the towering Liverpool captain and plenty of others have ended afternoons to overlook in his ruthless grasp.
|
Ronaldo vs Van Dijk |
Stats |
|---|---|
|
Video games |
5 |
|
Targets |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
Limitless gamers have endured their hardest video games towards Van Dijk and that features Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who’s now on mortgage at Barcelona. The England worldwide name-dropped his former Premier League rival when requested about probably the most tough defender he is confronted.
While so many have struggled to depart their mark towards Van Dijk, nonetheless, the identical cannot be stated for Lionel Messi. When an immovable object met an unstoppable drive, Van Dijk might have come away with a shock victory courtesy of Liverpool’s dramatic Champions League comeback, however Messi nonetheless had his second on the Nou Camp – scoring twice.
The truth that one in all this era’s biggest defenders couldn’t preserve Messi quiet sums up simply how other-wordly the Argentine icon is, greater than it sums up Van Dijk’s personal shortcomings on a tough night. However the Dutchman, to his credit score, was not fooled twice by Messi’s magic and despatched him crashing out of the Champions League in historic vogue within the second leg.
That Nou Camp thrashing courtesy of Messi will probably be one which Van Dijk remembers even to at the present time, but it surely wasn’t sufficient to make the Barcelona legend his hardest opponent. As a substitute, the central defender dropped an sudden title.
Van Dijk names “annoying” Giroud as hardest opponent
Chatting with Gary Neville on The Overlap, Van Dijk named Olivier Giroud as his hardest opponent regardless of having squared off towards the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Haaland.
The Liverpool captain seemed again on the Frenchman’s knack for a objective towards the Reds earlier than labeling him an “annoying” striker to play towards.
“Funnily sufficient, [Olivier] Giroud. I at all times felt like I obtained him, however in some way, he at all times managed to attain. Whether or not it was for Arsenal, Chelsea or France, he at all times scored.
“I stated to him after we received the league, we received 5-2. We have been 3-0 up or one thing and he scored a scrappy objective, I feel it was towards the crossbar and fell down, scrappy objective, I stated to him: ‘You scored once more?!’
“So I’d say he’s the man that scores towards me, and simply that annoying particular person. There’s so many implausible strikers I’ve performed towards, Messi, [Sergio] Aguero, [Erling] Haaland is a tough one as a result of he has every little thing, however I’m going for Giroud as he’s my bogeyman – annoying!”
Though Messi appears the plain alternative, the truth that Giroud has scored three targets in 5 video games towards Van Dijk all through his profession makes him a worthy candidate for his hardest opponent.
