There is arguably no extra thrilling participant at this World Cup than Kylian Mbappe, who leads France into their last-16 conflict with a Poland facet whose personal hopes of pulling off a well-known upset will rely to a big extent on Robert Lewandowski.
It is a sobering thought that Mbappe, not 24 till later this month, might not but be on the peak of his powers however he has already scored seven targets in 10 appearances on the World Cup.
That tally consists of one within the 2018 remaining when he was nonetheless a young person as France beat Croatia in Moscow.
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His mission now could be to assist his nation turn out to be the primary to retain the World Cup since Brazil, with a good youthful Pele, did so in 1962.
Mbappe has already scored thrice in Qatar, together with a brace in a 2-1 victory towards Denmark that secured qualification for the final 16, and there’s a perception he’s thriving because the undisputed star of Didier Deschamps’ facet.
The scenario is totally different to that of Paris Saint-Germain, the place he shares the limelight with Lionel Messi and Neymar, and in that sense it could be that Karim Benzema’s withdrawal resulting from damage on the eve of the event does no hurt to French hopes.
“Kylian has no ego,” insisted Deschamps just a few days in the past, going towards the notion of Mbappe within the context of PSG.
“He is a decisive participant for us and his performances put him within the highlight. He isn’t 18 anymore. He has expertise now.” It wasn’t simply Mbappe — who now has as many worldwide targets as Zinedine Zidane — that France missed as a second-string crew misplaced 1-0 to Tunisia on Wednesday, a outcome that didn’t cease them topping their group.
He can be again together with the likes of Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud as France and Poland meet at a serious event for the primary time for the reason that 1982 World Cup.
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“Kylian isn’t the identical participant or individual as in 2018,” mentioned Griezmann on Friday when requested about Mbappe’s function in a squad hit by accidents to a number of key gamers earlier than the event.
“He is way more part of the squad now. He speaks so much and has enjoyable. He is aware of that the media, followers and even his teammates can be watching the whole lot that he does however he’s past reproach.”
France are clear favourites for the sport however there may be the reminiscence of what occurred within the final 16 ultimately yr’s European Championship, when Mbappe missed the essential penalty in a shoot-out defeat to Switzerland.
Poland solely simply scraped by means of their group forward of Mexico on purpose distinction and Lewandowski’s strike — his first World Cup purpose — within the win over Saudi Arabia was subsequently essential.
“I’m conscious it may be my final World Cup and I wished to have the ability to say that I’ve performed and scored at World Cups,” he mentioned after that sport.
The 34-year-old additionally received 9 targets in qualifying and there may be no person else fairly on his stage in Czeslaw Michniewicz’s squad.
“We are comfortable as a result of getting out of the group was our goal,” mentioned defender Jakub Kiwior after the crew educated on Friday.
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Seeing Mbappe and Lewandowski collectively on the identical pitch is a uncommon deal with. Two of essentially the most prolific forwards within the trendy sport, they’re however several types of striker — one all about explosive tempo coming into the field from extensive areas, and the opposite the final word penalty-box finisher now coming in direction of the top of his profession.
Lewandowski left Bayern Munich for Barcelona within the final shut season, however in keeping with reviews in France he may need ended up at PSG.
Le Parisien reported on Friday that PSG tried to persuade Lewandowski to hitch them after tying Mbappe to a brand new contract in May.
PSG’s failure to signal Lewandowski or one other top-class quantity 9 was given as one cause why Mbappe was reportedly so sad at his membership simply a few months in the past.
Those reviews have since died down and his focus is on the World Cup, with Lewandowski now standing in his method.
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