"I could just blindly make a run and he would find me" - Kylian Mbappe explains why he changed his playstyle with Paul Pogba example
Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe has cited the absence of Paul Pogba as a reason why he doesn't make runs in behind the defense anymore. In saying this, the former Paris Saint-Germain man seemingly hinted at Pogba's ability to make passes in behind.
The former Manchester United midfielder and Mbappe played 41 matches together for Les Bleus across competitions, bagging one joint goal contribution. Opening up about how he's had to adapt to the current situation, Mbappe said (via @MadridXtra):
"Why do I not make runs in behind anymore? It depends on the team. When we had Paul Pogba for example, I could just blindly make and run and he would find me. Now I have to adapt to a different situation."
The current French team sees N'Golo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot line up in midfield. So far in Euro 2024, Mbappe has scored one goal and assisted once in three appearances.
He will be expected to bring his best game when France face Portugal in the quarter-finals of this year's European Championships on Friday (July 5). He will most likely sport a mask on his face, which protects the broken nose Mbappe suffered earlier in the tournament.
To date, the 25-year-old attacker has played 82 matches across the competition for his national team, bagging 48 goals and 34 assists. Even if he starts down the middle, Mbappe is likely to drift to his left-hand side to affect the play.
"It's an honor" - Kylian Mbappe reacts to facing Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024
France superstar Kylian Mbappe has reacted to facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at Euro 2024. Speaking before their quarter-final meeting, the Los Blancos man said (via GOAL):
"It's an honor. It's the admiration I've always had for Cristiano, for the player. Over time, I've had the chance to get to know him and talk to him many times. We're still in touch. He's always trying to give me advice and keep up to date with what's going on.
"It's a pleasure. Playing against him is an honor for everything he's done in football. No matter what happened before or what happens after, he'll always be a legend of the game."
Despite the praise, Ronaldo isn't entering this tie on the back of good form. In Euro 2024, the Al-Nassr striker has played four matches and is yet to find the back of the net.
To date, Kylian Mbappe has faced Ronaldo four times across competitions for club and country, ending up victorious twice while playing out two draws and losing none.