He plays in a test match – and he scores. It is still an open question whether Kylian Mbappé will play against Poland. There are concerns at home about the French team, who have so far scored no goals.
A friendly against the U21 team of SC Paderborn has given French football fans new hope that Kylian Mbappé will return – but doubts remain. Just like increasing scepticism in the Grande Nation after the previous goalless performances of Didier Deschamps’ star ensemble, who was not yet willing to give a guarantee for his superstar and captain.
The timing for the comeback could hardly be better
“Will he start against Poland on Tuesday? You will see in due course,” Deschamps told the radio station RMC Sport, according to Téléfoot 1. “If he is on the pitch, he will bring us a lot,” assured teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni at a press conference of the French on Sunday in their European Championship quarters in East Westphalia.
The timing and the constellation could hardly be better and perhaps more urgent for a Mbappé comeback this Tuesday in Dortmund against Poland (6 p.m./ZDF and MagentaTV). The opponent has already been eliminated and goals are also needed in the long-distance duel with the Netherlands, who are playing against Austria at the same time in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. The Elftal are currently leading Group D, France are second with four points and therefore level on points, and Austria are third with three points. Everything is possible for the French, from first place to third place.
Teammate: Mbappé would rather play without a mask
The swelling after Mbappé broke his nose continues to go down every day, reported Deschamps. “Everything is going in the right direction.” He will also continue to get used to the mask, which changes his field of vision slightly, explained the coach of the 2018 world champion and 2022 runner-up. “He would prefer to play without (the mask), but the doctor gives him no choice,” said Tchouaméni.
Before the goalless draw in Leipzig on Friday, Deschamps had already assured that everything would be done to ensure that Mbappé would be available and that everything was going in the right direction. However, Mbappé did not play. At times with his arms crossed and an unenthusiastic expression on his face, he watched his colleagues’ desperate attempts to score at least one goal from the many chances. It was not a bluff, Deschamps assured afterwards about Mbappé: “If it had been a decisive game, I might have thought twice about it.”
Encouragement for the fans: He scores again
Mbappé has not only not scored a goal at the European Championships in Germany, he has never scored one. And now his well-known colleagues such as Antoine Griezmann, France’s record goalscorer Olivier Giroud and the two former Bundesliga professionals Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram also have a goal-scoring problem.
Having arrived as big favorites for the European Championship title, especially because of their high-caliber offense, the French only managed to win against the Austrians thanks to an own goal. “At the beginning of preparations for the European Championship, the biggest doubts were still about the defense. Just over three weeks later, the question marks are increasing on the other side of the field,” wrote “Le Parisien” and headlined another article: “Équipe de France desperately looking for goalscorers.”
Will it be Mbappé? He played in the reserves’ practice match against Paderborn’s U21 team and certainly impressed his teammates. “When he’s on the pitch, he gives 100 percent,” reported Jonathan Clauss, who once played for Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga, on Sunday. “I thought he was very good, he’s gotten used to the mask,” Clauss stressed, and then said something that should encourage many French players: “He scored.”
Source: Stern
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