"Don't let them breathe" - Kylian Mbappe's half-time team talk as France captain during win over Netherlands revealed
A video posted by FFF's official Twitter account has given an insight into Kylian Mbappe's maiden half-time team talk in France's 4-0 win against the Netherlands on Friday (March 24).
Les Bleus raced to a 2-0 lead within eight minutes of kick-off courtesy of goals from Antoine Griezmann and Dayot Upamecano. Kylian Mbappe added a third to his team's tally in the 21st minute to send his team 3-0 up at half-time.
Inside the dressing room, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) centre-forward was heard telling his teammates (h/t Get Football News France):
"Well done guys, well done, well done, that’s it! That’s how you start a game. Don’t let them breathe, give them nothing. Same thing in the second half, the same thing. Don’t let up. That’s how we do it, guys."
France took their foot off the pedal to some extent in the second half with a win in their Euro 2024 qualifier virtually guaranteed at that point. Manager Didier Deschamps' team seemed more focused on managing the game and keeping a clean sheet in the second half.
They kept just 35% of the ball in the second half as compared to keeping 46% possession in the first 45 minutes. France managed four shots on target each on either side of the half-time whistle.
Kylian Mbappe toyed with the Dutch defense in the 88th minute to score his second goal of the game. He now has 38 goals in 67 games for his country, which lifts him up to fifth on the list of France's top goal-scorers of all time.
This was Mbappe's first match as Les Bleus' captain. Deschamps' decision to hand him the armband apparently irked Griezmann initially, but the two reportedly ironed out any differences in a private meeting recently.
Kylian Mbappe continues his stellar scoring record this season with brace vs the Netherlands
Kylian Mbappe has been on fire for club and country this season. He has netted 31 goals and provided four assists in 33 games for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) across competitions this season.
The 24-year-old also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after scoring eight goals in the tournament. He has scored 12 goals and laid out three assists in 13 games across competitions for France since May last year.
Given his rate of scoring goals, the former AS Monaco forward will fancy his chances of ending his career as his country's all-time leading scorer. 36-year-old Oliver Giroud is currently France's most prolific goal-scorer with 53 strikes to his name in 121 appearances.
Mbappe, meanwhile, sits at 38 goals.