Chelsea emerged winners in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 fixture against Atletico Madrid last night. An Olivier Giroud goal in the second half was enough to secure a 1-0 win on the night, and it was a goal worthy of winning any game in the world.
Chelsea lead 1-0 on aggregate with an away goal to their name, going into next month’s second leg at Stamford Bridge – and it is safe to say that there might not be a better goal in the entirety of the knockout stages of the competition this season.
Chelsea utilized a turnover in possession to get the ball out to Marcos Alonso in the left flank, whose early delivery into the box was misjudged by both Stefan Savic and Felipe.
It was Mario Hermoso whose totally miscued clearance fell to Giroud, who showed incredible technique to slot the ball into the back of the net with an exquisite bicycle kick.
It was a moment of individual brilliance out of nowhere that no one on the pitch saw coming – except a certain Mason Mount right outside the box.
Eagle-eyed Chelsea fans on social media noticed that Mount had his hands up in the air right after Giroud connected with the bicycle kick – the young English midfielder was celebrating the goal even before the ball went into the net.
Mason Mount actually celebrated Giroud goal even before it entered the net. What a guy 😂 pic.twitter.com/FuttPPTDPX
— Ali 🇬🇭 (@TheBeardedRauI) February 23, 2021
Mason Mount celebrating even before the ball leaves Giroud’s foot. pic.twitter.com/5wx2ryjocp
— Olieć (@EddieOliech) February 23, 2021
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but a lengthy check by the VAR assistant made referee Felix Brych overturn his decision.
The celebrations from the designated away side were delayed, all except for Mount who was the first one celebrating – as spotted by the aforementioned fans.
The 21-year-old had a good game in midfield for Chelsea last night and has been one of their best players this season. It was a visionary moment for Mount who seems to have had a lot of faith in the veteran striker converting the chance – it would not be a surprise considering Giroud has a well-known panache for acrobatic goals.
