It all started in the most wonderful way. No mask, a superb assist for Kolo Muani, and a direct opponent, Jesus Navas, in difficulty. And then, everything evaporated in the night in Munich. Even the desire to shine against a country that will welcome him in the coming weeks was not enough to bring him out of his torpor.
Kylian Mbappé therefore offered the same type of performance as since the start of the Euro: few differences with the ball at his feet, the same sequence of “I cut back into the middle and I shoot”, the same inability to project himself into the area when his partners cross, and a form of harmful lightness on passes that were nevertheless easy. Physically, it’s still not that, and technically, it’s not that at all or almost. In less than 30 minutes, Barcola thus did more damage in the left flank than Mbappé.
No goal after the group
To what extent did that broken nose against Austria pollute his competition? He had been the cause of Wöber’s own goal by overflowing on the right of the area, and had started his Euro rather well. Then, he was absent against the Netherlands, before making his return against Poland, where he scored a goal from a penalty. Then he was, at best, insipid, against Belgium, Portugal and Belgium. 3.5, 3 and 3, these are the three marks collected by Mbappé during these three matches.
Poor in terms of statistics with 1 goal and 1 assist in 5 matches played, his Euro 2024 will also have been terrible in terms of play, far from the freshness of his 2018 World Cup or the efficiency of his 2022 World Cup. He sometimes appeared disconnected from his partners, predictable for his opponents, and far from displaying the body language of a leader, he who had nevertheless demanded the captaincy.
“I wasn’t good”
In a press conference, Didier Deschamps suggested that he had not been able to use 100% of the Blues’ attacking potential. “I’m not here to comment on the criticisms, the debates, I’m not going to get into that. It’s factual, I’ve never denied that we had poor efficiency. We had to adapt to be efficient despite everything. We reached the semi-final, everyone will have their own analysis. But obviously we didn’t have 100% of our potential, for different reasons.”
A truncated season with PSG, a broken nose, a transfer to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé has no shortage of possible excuses to justify his bad run. He didn’t hide that same evening. “We had the ambition to be European champions. We are not, so it is a missed competition, but that is football. We have to move on. I was not good. We are going home. I have to rest, it will be important for my new life. I will have new things to do.”. Hopefully for the better.
