Kylian Mbappe proves ‘he can play with Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann’ after best game since Russia - Inside Europe
Updated 08/10/2021 at 11:23 GMT
After their stunning come-from-behind win against Belgium to reach the Nations League final, Pete Sharland gets in contact with Martin Mosnier from Eurosport France to chat all things Les Bleus. There’s a lot of praise for Kylian Mbappe after his performance but there are still real concerns about the absence of N’Golo Kante.
Inside Europe Kylian Mbappe
Image credit: Eurosport
For the second night in a row we were treated to an absolute show in the UEFA Nations League.
In the second semi-final, Belgium took a 2-0 lead (and assumed that was a comfortable advantage) but France rallied and dug deep to come back and secure a memorable 3-2 win.
France will meet Spain in the final, who beat Italy in their own thriller the night before, and ahead of the final, Eurosport will be bringing you the thoughts of both camps.
To kick things off, we talk to Martin Mosnier from Eurosport France for their reaction to Thursday night and looking forward to Sunday.
What were the main takeaways from the game?
As far as Mosnier is concerned the key takeaway from this game is just how well the fabled French front three played.
France came into this match with some rumblings of discontent after a couple of very revealing interviews conducted by Kylian Mbappe. It certainly didn’t help that during the last international break the PSG forward was missing and in his stead Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann looked very comfortable together.
“For the first time, the grouping of Benzema, Griezmann, Mbappé worked.” Mosnier says.
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Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates, Belgium v France, Nations League semi-final, Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy, October 7, 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
It's a great spectacle for the France team and public who were impatiently awaiting this. Especially, Mbappé who had been disappointing for months. Against Belgium, he took responsibility.
“The other key takeaway, but we already knew that, is that the defence is no longer as solid as in 2018. Since the European Championships, every opposition attack spells danger. Les Bleus have lost their defensive control and when N'Golo Kanté is absent, the team suffers. This is the main problem of this team.”
Who impressed you the most?
Okay so let’s dig into the individual performances. We asked Mosnier who he felt were the standout performers.
One player was a very predictable response but the other two may come as a surprise.
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Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe of France celebrate, Belgium v France, Nations League semi-final, Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy, October 7, 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
“Mbappé of course,” says Mosnier first. “Since the World Cup, he has been disappointing. On Thursday, he played his best game since the victory in Russia three years ago and proved he can play with Benzema and Griezmann.
“Théo Hernandez is already essential in this team and his presence now justifies the 3-4-3 system. Finally, Aurélien Tchouameni only played 15 minutes but it feels that he is becoming an important player.”
What are the key match-ups for the final?
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final we asked Mosnier to pick out what he felt were the key match-ups. Who will be key for France? And who will be the danger players for Spain in the eyes of France?
“Everything will depend on France's ability to take their chances when they win back the ball. They will have to exploit the transitions thanks to the speed of Mbappé and the technical abilities of Paul Pogba, Griezmann and Benzema.
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Paul Pogba of France celebrates during the UEFA Nations League 2021 Semi-final match between Belgium and France at Juventus Stadium on October 07, 2021 in Turin, Italy
Image credit: Getty Images
“In midfield, Spain will be superior and we expect France to sit off them, how they cope will be key. Against Belgium, it was a big problem and we know the talent of the Spanish midfielders...”
Any team news to be aware of?
“N'Golo Kanté will be out and it's a huge loss for the team. Lucas Digne will be out too. But we have two other left-backs with the Hernandez brothers. So no problem there.”
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