“At the airport.” As a cliché coaches trot out when asked about plans to stop for a key player, this one has aged well. But Kylian Mbappe has been here for a while, lighting up a never-before, and possibly never-after, one-city World Cup. So, unless he gets lost like Lionel Scaloni and Hansi Flick did on way to the Qatar National Convention Centre, the France goal machine will be ready for England.
Asking Przemyslaw Frankowski wouldn’t throw much light either as the Poland defender couldn’t grab Mbappe’s shirt when he ran past at 35kmph. He has recorded 35.6kmph in the Champions League. Raheem Sterling is “rapid,” said Poland’s Matty Cash, but Mbappe is “electric.” Especially over the first few yards by when the contest is usually over.
Cash didn’t stop there. “When he stands you up and moves he does it really well. He drops the shoulder, goes short then long.” Mbappe did neither against Denmark but still had a player touching the floor.
Parsing elite football down to individual ability, stripping it off sophistication and style produced by collective effort, is not what coaches do. Every opponent of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will point out that Argentina and Portugal have other players who can make a difference. France too have a wealth of such players: think Antoine Griezmann, think Ousmane Dembele, think Aurelien Tchouameni. Heck, even Adrien Rabiot.
Yet if the conversation has been dominated by Mbappe ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final, it is a measure of how much a player not yet 24 has decided three of France’s games so far. Then add the seven he played in Russia. He can smell goals, as Brazil head coach Tite had said of Richarlison.
In two World Cups, Mbappe has scored six of his nine goals with his right foot but he has also netted with his left, thigh and head. Like his idol Ronaldo Nazario, he scores from inside the penalty area. All but one of his goals, from 29 shots, have come from there. The one from range was against Croatia in the final. Mbappe is quick to read a situation that can produce a goal and his ability to take position behind full backs, like he did against Denmark, makes him difficult to mark.
That is intimidating enough but Mbappe has been no flake with assists either. He has produced two here – and three overall in World Cups – including one for Olivier Giroud’s record-breaking goal. Unlike Harry Kane, Mbappe doesn’t drop deep, preferring to be on the half-space on the left. He can stay disconnected but from walk to waltz past defenders happens, as England’s Aaron Ramsdale said in another context, as easily as flipping a switch.
Kyle Walker knows about it. The England right back has lined up against Mbappe in the Champions League and didn’t let him run away with those games. Three years ago, Walker recorded a speed of 37.8kmph in the Premier League. Over nine years older, Walker’s top speed in Doha has been 34.4kmph.
“I have played against some great players at Man City and England… I take extra care and give him the respect he deserves, but not too much respect,” he said.
“He is a fantastic player in great form. It is not going to be an easy task, but as a professional footballer you want to play against the best and I think he is one of the best if not the best in the world at the moment.”
But Walker can’t do it alone. England may try a tag team, like Iran did against Messi in 2014 or Chile against the same player in the 2015 Copa America final. So enter Kieran Trippier to help Walker as England opt for a back three discarding what has served them well so far? That could mean Jordan Henderson sacrificed but you can’t hope to go all the way if you can’t adapt.
Mbappe has scored five of France’s nine goals in Doha showing that France direct their play towards him. England have got 12 and, more importantly, it has been shared by eight players. They are also more used to winning knockout games since 2018 and have kept a clean sheet in three of their four games here. The strong hand of Jordan Pickford against Senegal ensured that the only goals England let in were against Iran by when the game was decided. France, on the other hand, don’t have clean sheet yet and will be up against the likes of attacking players such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Sterling and Kane.
England manager Gareth Southgate is aware of the importance of clean sheets having studied Germany and France’s World Cup campaigns in 2014 and 2018. Both had four on way to the title, in 2010 Spain had five.
Southgate also prefers playing out from the back which could make them vulnerable to turnovers and with Dembele, Griezmann and Giroud around, to say nothing of Mbappe, that can be fraught with risk. John Stones and Harry Maguire were tested by Senegal and France’s attackers are expected to be more efficient. Again, this points to the possibility of a back three with Luke Shaw and Trippier ensuring Dembele and Griezmann don’t get space. But then, what do you about Mbappe?