"One who made me suffer the most” - Carvajal picks most difficult opponent among Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has named Kylian Mbappe as the toughest opponent he has faced. He did so when asked to pick between a quartet including the Frenchman, Vinicius Jnr., Lamine Yamal and Nico William.
Carvajal, who plays as a right-back for Los Blancos, has oftentimes faced a handful of renowned wide forwards. Despite appreciating the work ethic of teammate Vinicius, who is often described as a handful for full-backs, Carvajal was quick to name his new teammate, Mbappe, as his most difficult opponent.
In an interview, as quoted by MadridXtra, the Spaniard was asked to name his toughest opponent and the best among four elite wing-forwards. Carvajal elaborated:
"Vinicius, he trains at his 250%. He trains the same way he plays. But Mbappe is the one who made me suffer the most when we played against each other."
Interestingly, Carvajal will have to come up against both Vinicius and Mbappe in the training sessions for Los Blancos after the Frenchman completed his move to Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.
Both Vinicius and Mbappe had remarkable 2023-24 campaigns, as they had a combined tally of 68 goals. Mbappe scored a 44 times for his former club Paris Saint-Germain, while Vinicius netted 24 goals for Los Blancos.
It will be interesting to see how the two forward stars will perform together in what will be one of Real Madrid's most deadly attacking partnerships in recent history.
Recalling Kylian Mbappe's first words after signing for Real Madrid
The 25-year-old French international eventually secured his much-anticipated move to his 'dream club' Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.
The Frenchman put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Santiago Bernabue Stadium in a deal worth around €15 million a year after tax, as per Sky Sports.
Following his announcement as a new Madrid star earlier in June this year, the Frenchman expressed his excitement after joining his dream club. In his words, via an Instagram post that has now generated over 24 million likes, he said:
"A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dream. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. Hala Madrid!"
Mbappe is currently in action with France at Euro 2024 in Germany. Les Bleus take on Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 1 in Dusseldorf.