The immense disappointment of the Ballon d’Or, injured in a thigh and forfeited for the tournament, reconstitutes the winning attacking trio of the 2018 World Cup, with the Giroud-Mbappé pair supported by playmaker Antoine Griezmann. Even if the coach Didier Deschamps can add a fourth attacker to his animation, like Ousmane Dembélé, the forces present necessarily revive the sweet memory of Moscow. It’s not that bad. Mbappé, indeed, is never as comfortable as in full light. And Giroud, eternal returning at 36, still shines when he steps out of the shadows. “My role in the team? Everything is clear with the coach, there is nothing to add. When the coach needs me, I will try to bring to the team what I know how to do, as always. When I came to the France team, I did the job“, explained the center-forward of AC Milan, Thursday at a press conference. Once again, the stainless N.9 of the Blues is rising like a “phoenix”, the nickname that some friends attribute to him. Since a year, Deschamps had refused to call him when Benzema was available, worried about Giroud’s ability to blend into the group without qualms.
Tactical “Freedom”
The absence of the Madrilenian ensures him a starting place, with a real opportunity to become the top scorer in the history of the Blues, ahead of Thierry Henry (51 goals), who is only two points ahead of him. Above all, she will spare the Blues questions about her cohabitation with the Madrid player, a file that has been constantly reopened for more than ten years.. For Mbappé, a boulevard opens. If he has to share glory and light with Neymar and Lionel Messi at Paris SG, the young world champion is now the only planetary star with the Blues, a role that suits his temperament perfectly. “Kylian, he knows how to do it, he is used to having everything on his back, to receiving this pressure“, supported midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on Sunday.
Mbappé seems comfortable in Blue: “Here, I have a lot more freedom (than in a club), the coach knows that there is a number 9 like +Olive+ who occupies the defenses, I can walk around, go into spaces, ask for the balls“, he had launched during the rally in September, in the absence of Benzema, injured. An offensive remark towards PSG which resonated, almost, like a small declaration of love for Giroud. “He was higher on the field, we were able to look for three (with Griezmann) without being cut off from the rest of the team“, pointed out the Parisian after France-Austria (2-0). Already that evening, Mbappé was wondering about the consequences of the return of “KB19”: “There is Karim who will also come back, we will see how it will go.”
From quack to “praise”
Here is “Kyky” spared by these tactical reflections. With Giroud as an anchor in the area, Bondy’s star will have all the freedom he wants to make a difference. “I am a striker who has qualities of + target man +, as we say in England, with a play in pivot, in deflection. In my career, I evolved with players who liked my profile because they could rely on me. It’s something he (Mbappé) likes, it’s a plus for him“, explained the former Montpellier resident on Thursday. “Regarding Kylian, it’s always nice to hear praise from his partners and it’s good for the future“, he added.
These exchanged compliments accredit the thesis of a peaceful relationship between the two men, a year and a half after a communication hiccup that had caused trouble, in full preparation for the Euro. Asked after his late double against Bulgaria (3-0), the Milanese had stung his teammate: “I was discreet because sometimes we go shopping and the balloons don’t arrive“, he had slipped. Mbappé had not appreciated and had made it known. On the road to Qatar, Giroud and Mbappé now seem to be walking in the same direction.
