Nor is there a match in which he plays Kylian Mbappé that is not conditioned by the presence of the French captain. His presence on the field of play is decisive, a condition that marks everything that surrounds that match. It is no different from the semi-final that they are going to star in. Spain and France in it Allianz Arena in Munich.
It doesn’t matter that so far in the Euro Cup his goals are limited to the one he scored from a penalty against Poland or that he is going through a stage in which his potential is not close to its maximum. It is evident that if Mbappé is on a playing field, anything can change radically. Argentina can tell it well, as in the final in Qatar they were isolated for 80 minutes and in just 10 they found themselves facing extra time and having to win on penalties, something that they had under absolute control until the beast woke up.
Spain faces this phenomenon at the home of Bayern, a stadium in which it spread panic in April 2021. The absence of Dani Carvajal, sanctioned and a capital player in Luis de la Fuente’s plan, is an obstacle for Spain. Unless there is an unexpected movement, Kylian’s dance partner in the semi-final will be Jesus Navas. At 38 years old, the winger Sevilla can be seen facing one of the most imposing challenges of his long career. Because of the rival and the context of the match.
First duel
The Munich match will be the first in which they meet face to face. They looked at each other from afar in the Champions League tie in which in 2017 Monaco knocked down the Manchester City: 5-3 in the Etihad and 3-1 in the Principality with Mbappé scoring in both games. Navas only played the final minute of the first leg, with the then beardless Frenchman already in the shower.
Wink from De la Fuente to Navas: “Congratulations on your record and may it continue for many more years”
The thing about Allianz It will be a direct face to face. De la Fuente has made it clear that he has no other plan in mind than that of Navas in Carvajal’s place, even though Mbappé is the winger to score.
In this semi-final, which is already Kylian’s fourth -two in the World Cup and the 2021 Nations-, the captain of France appears with Argentina (five goals) and Netherlands (six) as their favorite victims when their duels with the best teams in the world are counted.
Of his 83 games with France, two are against Spain. His was the controversial goal with which the French team won the Nations League at San Siro on a night in which Luis Enrique designed a plan with Eric García as Mbappé’s main guard. A strategy that only failed in that action in which the English Anthony Taylor He explained to the Spanish center back that he should have stood still so that he could signal offside.
Kylian’s other match with Spain was in March 2017, in which it was his second match with France and the first for La Roja with VAR: 0-2, in St Denis.
De la Fuente: “If his name wasn’t Fabián…”
If Navas and De la Fuente need first-hand information about Mbappé, it’s easy: ask Fabián Ruiz. They have played together in 64 games with the PSG shirt. But in that time, Mbappé has rarely been able to enjoy the plethora of Fabian Ruiz that exhibits football in this Euro Cup.
Because the number 8 of the national team has become one of the Euro footballers. Beyond his two goals, it has been his hierarchy in the game that has given Spain a plus.
Fabianlike the entire Spanish team, is clear that stopping Mbappé It is not a matter of Navas or one against one. In fact, that’s what it’s about, avoiding one-on-one situations as much as possible.
In that collective idea of Spain, two Sevillians from The palaces They will have a lot to say. Navas in the face to face; Fabián in handling the ball and timing.
