"He's the man to stop him" - Matty Cash backs 'brilliant' England star to get the better of Mbappe during FIFA World Cup quarter-final
Poland right-back Matty Cash believes Kyle Walker has what it takes to stop Kylian Mbappe when England and France meet at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions will take on Les Bleus in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday, December 10. While England beat Senegal 3-0 in the Round of 16 on December 4, France defeated Poland 3-1 to seal their spot in the last eight earlier on the same day.
Reigning world champions France had Mbappe to thank for their win against the Poles. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar set up Olivier Giroud's opener before scoring with two stunning strikes in the second half.
He had plenty of joy against Cash, who struggled to deal with the forward's pace and trickery throughout the game. Asked if he has any advice for Walker, who is likely to start as England's right-back against France, the Aston Villa defender said (as quoted by Express):
"Kyle Walker's got way more experience than me, so I don't need to tell him anything. He knows Mbappe is amazing, but I think Kyle Walker is England's best right-back. So if anyone's going to stop Mbappe, I think he's the man to stop him.
"Kyle Walker is brilliant, and he's rapid as well, but Mbappe is on a different level - by far."
Cash went on to shower praise on the France forward, saying:
"I play in the Premier League week-in, week-out, and I play against top-class wingers, but he's easily going to be the best player in the world. His speed, movement, and look at his finishing. He's got everything. He put two in the top corner - one in the left and one in the right."
Kyle Walker offered Kylian Mbappe advice from Matty Cash as Poland torn apart by France | @AlexCTurk
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With his goals against Poland, France's talisman has now moved to eight goals in just 11 FIFA World Cup appearances. He is also the outright leader in the ongoing edition's Golden Boot race with five goals in four matches.
Looking back at how Kyle Walker has fared against Kylian Mbappe ahead of FIFA World Cup showdown
The 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals have pitted England against France for the first time since June 2017, when they met in an international friendly. Kylian Mbappe started for Les Bleus in that game, while Kyle Walker was brought in at half-time.
Walker largely kept the mercurial forward quiet in the second half. However, the latter eventually got the game-winning assist for Ousmane Dembele as France emerged 3-2 victors.
The duo's more recent meetings have all come in the UEFA Champions League, with Walker playing for Manchester City and the forward turning out for PSG.
England fans to Kyle Walker knowing he’s the only man that can match Mbappe’s pace https://t.co/gH8va1sEtr
They met twice in the group stages of the competition in the 2021-22 season. The first game in September 2021 at the Parc des Princes ended 2-0 for the hosts. Both players started the game, with Mbappe assisting Lionel Messi in the second half.
The reverse fixture in November that year was won 2-1 by Manchester City at the Etihad. The superstar forward opened the scoring for the Parisians in the 50th minute, but was kept quiet thereafter by Walker. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus then ensured that the Citizens exacted revenge.
Given how the earlier meetings between the duo have transpired, it will be interesting to see how they tackle each other in their upcoming FIFA World Cup clash.