A quadruple and an assist against Kazakhstan on Saturday night at the Parc des Princes (8-0), a goal and a sumptuous assist on Tuesday, November 16 in Finland (2-0) to unlock a locked situation. Kylian Mbappé is the Blue at the end of the year 2021. For the fourth game in a row for the France team, the Paris Saint-Germain striker has at least scored and delivered an assist in the same match.
Impressive statistics which demonstrate the influence of Mbappé on the France team. And which bring a definitive redemption to the 22-year-old striker, five months after his missed shot on goal against Switzerland in the round of 16 of the Euro (3-3, 4-5 tab), which had caused the elimination bruises.
At the time, Mbappé had been the target of a large part of the French supporters, for this failed attempt, but also and above all for his statistics unworthy of his standing during the competition (0 goal). It was to quickly forget that Mbappé had been one of the driving forces of the Blues at the Euro. Decisive passer against Switzerland, he also caused a penalty against Portugal (2-2) and had continued to be dangerous by destabilizing the opposing defenses. But for all that, his failure remained against Switzerland in everyone’s mind.
So Mbappé responded. In an interview with The team in early October, the PSG striker spoke at length about his abortive departure from the capital club but also his future with the France team. “I have always put the France team above everything and I will always put it above everything. Mostly, I never meant to be a problem“, explained Mbappé.
Before specifying that he had thought of putting his international career in brackets: “But from the moment I felt that I was supposedly starting to become a problem and people saw me as a problem… The most important thing is the France team, and if the France team is happier without me, that’s how it is.“Finally, Mbappé decided to continue with the Blues while raising the level a notch.
8 & 10 – Karim Benzema is the player Kylian Mbappé has found the most on the pitch today (8 times) when he only played 35 minutes. Conversely, half of Karim Benzema’s assists tonight were for Kylian Mbappé (10/20). Bromance. #FINFRA pic.twitter.com/wRPnV6qnwJ
– OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 16, 2021
He proved it once again this evening in Finland. The most agitated striker of the Blues in the first period when the match seemed closed, Mbappé made the difference in the second act, with his best accomplice. During this year 2021 in Blue, the PSG striker discovered a privileged technical relationship with Karim Benzema. The two met again this evening, for the first goal of the match scored by the Real Madrid striker.
His second goal sums it all up with lightning acceleration and perfect technique to finish the action. Finally, Mbappé alone symbolizes the year 2021 of the France team: ups and downs, a surplus of emotion in the joy as in the distress and the (re) discovery of Benzema in Blue. The technical relationship between the two, if it had been introduced earlier in the France team, would have hurt the Euro even more.
He finally had to wait until the end of the year for it to express itself wonderfully. Promising for 2022 and the deadlines to come, as are the qualities that Mbappé is developing in parallel with his instinct as a scorer. Wrongly described as selfish in the field, especially after the Euro, the PSG striker was the best French passer in 2021, with six assists delivered to his teammates.
He is, over the calendar year, the most decisive player of the France team, being involved on 14 goals (8 goals and 6 assists) ahead of Karim Benzema (9 goals and 2 assists) and Antoine Griezmann (9 goals and 1 assist). His quadruplet, the first of a French in selection since Just Fontaine in 1958, against Kazakhstan on Saturday night necessarily helps. But beyond the statistics, his influence on the game of the Blues in 2021 was undeniable. It could be even more so in 2022 with the World Cup in sight at the end of the year.