The PSG scoring machine (42 goals in 47 games) would it jam in the France team?
After three meetings at the Euro, played in full, Kylian Mbappé remains silent.
So, inevitably, we are worried.
And yet, the competition of the number 10 of the Blues exceeds this simple goal counter, unlocked by his two accomplices of the attack, Karim Benzema (2) and Antoine Griezmann (1).
Fully integrated and essential to the tactics decided by Didier Deschamps, the Parisian plays a less visible role than in a club but which remains effective.
No goal but created opportunities
Of the four goals scored by France, three were brought by Mbappé. He puts pressure on Mats Hummels against Germany (1-0), makes a decisive cross for the equalization of Griezmann in Hungary (1-1) and gets a penalty for Benzema against Portugal (2-2). Without forgetting that a superb goal was refused to him for a few centimeters in Munich. In total, Mbappé has only eight shots (including six against Hungary) for three on target. But he touched 27 balls in the opponent's area and attempted 17 dribbles, the Blue being the most active in these two areas.
“We talk a lot about the spaces he needs, but I do not see him as a simple striker of spaces, analyzes Pablo Correa, Franco-Uruguayan coach.
Kylian has the strength, the speed, the technique.
He remains unpredictable in the box and is able to make a difference in any dribbling situation.
There remains a huge danger for the opponent.
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His place in the game and in the attack
The game of PSG and that of the France team are incomparable. Over ninety minutes, his average balloons touched with Paris exceeds 60 units per game. With the Blues at the Euro, Mbappé is content with an average of 42. Too little? “Honestly, I don't think he's the type of player who needs a lot of balls to score,” said Pablo Correa. In addition, you have to see what types of balloons we are talking about, in which zone. France has a much more direct game than PSG, where it plays a lot in the midfield with strong possession ”.
With Benzema and Griezmann, he forms a dream trio in which the automatisms take a long time to be found.
Between Mbappé and the Real Madrid striker: 28 balls exchanged.
With the left-hander of Barça: 17. “Generally, he finds himself closer to Benzema, at the same height or just in front of him, details Pablo Correa.
Their game is very complementary.
They like to play with the ball, short passes.
While Griezmann is much more often behind Kylian.
This is one of the reasons.
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Real defensive activity
Mbappé's positioning changed somewhat between the first two games and that of Portugal, where he occupied a position of left winger and not of left axial striker. As a result, the corridor was overexploited by the Lusitanian attacks for forty-five minutes and Lucas Hernandez suffered defensively. But this half aside, "KM" is not the same for the Blues as in Paris.
"With Deschamps, it's normal," Pablo Correa smiles. They say he's a defensive coach, but no. He's pragmatic and he knows he needs his whole team to get the ball back and develop the game afterwards. Mbappé has star status but he also knows what he has to do to win the competition. At PSG, all year round, he can afford not to do this defensive work. This is not a criticism, because adversity in the league is not the same. “At the Euro, it will only go up. The last promise is for Presnel Kimpembe: "It will not take long to score".