3 ways Kylian Mbappe can finally hit top gear at Euro 2024
France’s top goalscorer at Euro 2024 thus far are players from other countries – ‘Own Goal’ leads the way with two. That is quite the indictment of Kylian Mbappe’s form at the tournament.
The superstar has managed just one goal – a penalty in the group stage draw with Poland – and has rarely looked like scoring another. He was particularly out of sorts in Les Bleus’ narrow win over Belgium in the round of 16.
So, how do France get Mbappe back to his best?
Wearing the captain’s armband for your country comes with a lot of responsibility.
Being perceived as the undisputed best footballer in the world comes with a lot of pressure.
The fact that likes of Marcus Thuram and Ousmane Dembele currently look like they can’t hit a barn door only adds to that pressure.
However, these three things don’t mean that Kylian Mbappe eeds to play ‘hero ball’ every time he is in possession.
On far too many occasions this summer, Mbappe has been a player trying to do absolutely everything for France without anyone else’s help.
Running at one too many defenders, taking one too many unnecessary and audacious pops at goal. He’s been guilty of it all, and if France are going to improve their form at Euro 2024 he needs to trust his teammates and keep things a bit more simple than he has recently.
Start Olivier Giroud
He’s still key / James Baylis – AMA/GettyImages
He may be a thousand years old, but France still need Olivier Giroud to knit their attack together.
Without a player who can hold up the ball and bring others effectively into play, Les Bleus have looked rather toothless up top – as the fact that they haven’t scored a single goal of their own from open play attests.
With Giroud in the lineup, France are a different team and Mbappe is a different player. The former PSG man is much, much more effective when he has a big striker alongside him doing the dirty work, winning duels, and feeding him the ball. Their partnership, in essence, has been the key to France’s recent successes at international tournaments.
Didier Deschamps, it’s time to get the band back together.
Utilise Antoine Griezmann in midfield
France need a creative outlet / ANP/GettyImages
Thanks to Dembele’s rather patchy (bloody terrible) form, Deschamps has experimented with utilising veteran star Antoine Griezmann on the right flank.
Has it worked?
Nope, not in the slightest.
With Griezmann shunted out wide and workhorses Adrien Rabiot, N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, there’s been no one central creator in France’s team who can find Mbappe effectively in dangerous areas.
Moving Griezmann back into the left side of midfield and closer to Mbappe will allow Les Bleus’ two most technically gifted players to link up in the final third and, hopefully, get the nation’s captain a few more clear-cut chances in front of goal.
Source: 90mins
