World Cup 2022: Kylian Mbappe can still improve, says France strike partner Olivier Giroud ahead of England tie
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Updated 06/12/2022 at 17:29 GMT
Kylian Mbappe "is the best player I've played with", affirmed Olivier Giroud as he reflected on his France compatriot's electric performances so far at the World Cup. Mbappe sits top of the goalscoring charts with five strikes, two clear of the rest, in a sign of his pre-eminence in Qatar. Giroud also looked ahead to Les Bleus' mammoth quarter-final with England.
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Olivier Giroud thinks the best is yet to come from Kylian Mbappe, despite his fellow forward's scintillating displays to date at the World Cup.
Mbappe leads the goalscoring charts with five goals, and with a potential three games left, could even reach double figures for the tournament.
But Giroud - who has been the perfect foil for Mbappe in the tournament to date - says his 23-year-old team-mate can still show more, as he looked ahead to his side's momentous quarter-final with England on Saturday.
“He [Mbappe] is the best I've played with," Giroud, France's new record goalscorer following his strike in the 3-1 last-16 win over Poland, told press.
"He's amazing and still young. Which is scary because he can still improve his game. He's crucial for us.
"But I think we haven't seen the best of Kylian yet.
“Everyone has their own personality and their own way of approaching big games. It's easier to do that by calming things down.
"He seems serene, lucid and calm. That's why he doesn't talk much in the press. He speaks little but concentrates on the pitch and that's good.
"He is in great shape, provided he continues like this.
"My relationship with him is very good. For me, it always has been."
On Saturday in Doha, Giroud will come up against Three Lions centre-backs John Stones and Harry Maguire, who he knows well from his time in England - and he is expecting a difficult battle.
"It will be tough and physical [against them], sometimes [in previous encounters] I came out on top, other times I lost," Giroud said. "They know me, I know them; but it's not just me against them and them against me.
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Harry Maguire of Manchester United and Olivier Giroud of Chelsea interact with Match Referee, Stuart Attwell after a VAR decision during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 28, 2021 in London, Engl
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“So far they [England] have had a good tournament. They have quantity and quality. I hope they have a tough game on Saturday. With [Spurs keeper] Hugo [Lloris], we talk about it, we don't want to lose this match.
"We still have three games to win [to retain the World Cup title]. We don't want to think about that. We know that would be huge. We just think of England first and foremost."
Giroud also says his team will have to be on guard against England's "asset" skipper Harry Kane, who he likened to himself.
The 36-year-old said: "He can be compared to me in his style, back to goal, tall, someone who holds it up, but a player who likes to play a little deeper. I don't know if that's instructions from the coach or him.
"But he's an asset for the England, and someone to watch very closely.
"There are similarities, but differences.”
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