'I don't think about Karim' - Giroud not trying to prove himself against Benzema

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.

Giroud’s brace in Sunday’s 5-2 Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over Iceland took him to 10 goals in his past nine starts for Les Bleus.

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.