Virgil van Dijk, having faced elite forwards like Messi and Ronaldo, now regularly contends with Erling Haaland after the Norwegian’s move to Manchester City in 2023.

Surprisingly, it’s Olivier Giroud who Van Dijk finds most challenging, acknowledging the Frenchman’s ability to score in various ways, including with his head, feet, or knee.

Despite Giroud’s impact, Van Dijk also mentions other top-tier forwards like Aguero, Haaland, and Jesus, emphasizing the difficulty they bring to his matches.

The Liverpool captain admits Giroud has caused frustration, but the French striker has only scored twice against him, once in a 5-3 Premier League win for Liverpool and another in a UEFA Nations League clаsh between France and the Netherlands in 2019.

Van Dijk acknowledges the collective challenge posed by these forwards, emphasizing their impact on his defensive efforts.