The Bleus striker answered his critics against Iceland but is not motivated by the spectre of his absent team-mate, insisting he does not think about him
Olivier Giroud insists lingering comparisons with Karim Benzema have not fuelled his impressive scoring run for France.
Benzema’s international exile due to being under investigation for his part in an alleged plot to blackmail France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena left Arsenal's Giroud as Didier Deschamps' first-choice striker - a status that has not always rested easily with critics and fans alike.