Dayot Upamecano won his duel against Kylian Mbappé on Wednesday, in the return match between Bayern and PSG in C1. IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner / PANORAMIC
Still the author of a major performance against PSG last Wednesday, the Frenchman has established himself as one of the best defenders on the planet.
If Bayern dismissed PSG in the Champions League, it is largely thanks to its solidity. No goals conceded in the two matches. Solidity symbolized by an imperial man: Dayot Upamecano. The French international defender pulled out all the stops and had a full match on Wednesday, during the second set, in Munich (2-0): 98% of successful passes (his team’s record), no fouls conceded and several life-saving interventions in front of Kylian Mbappe. “Our mentality made the difference. We were ready and we answered present“, savored the native of Evreux after the meeting, at the microphone of BeIN SPORTS.
This season in the Champions League, Bayern Munich have conceded only two goals in eight games, including none at the Allianz Arena. A stunning statistic when you know that the German club has rubbed shoulders with FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and therefore PSG. Only the modest Czech formation of Viktoria Plzen (2-4), in a meeting where the Bavarians led 0-4 in the 35th minute of play, managed to find the fault. Bayern, which is also the best defense in the Bundesliga (22 goals conceded) before receiving Augsburg this Saturday at 3:30 p.m., during the 24th day of the Bundesliga, can rely on Dayot Upamecano. With Matthijs De Ligt (23) at his side, the German leaders have probably secured a central hinge for many years.
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In the suitcases of Nagelsmann
Arrived in the summer of 2021 in Bavaria against 42.5 million euros after four and a half years at RB Leipzig, Upamecano followed his then coach Julian Nagelsmann, poached by Bayern at the same time. “I didn’t want to go anywhere else, even if I had offers. Bayern remain one of the best teams in the world, a team that wants to win every game and that matches my ambitions. Nagelsmann helps me in many areas. He loves video and already in Leipzig we did a lot of it togetherdeclared the Norman to the team, shortly after his arrival.
Very consistent despite fierce competition, the right-hander has definitely established himself as an indisputable starter at Bayern. His status was further enhanced after his formidable World Cup in Qatar with the France team. After a complicated debut in Blues (12 selections, 1 goal), he erased his hesitations at the best of times. Associated with Ibrahima Konaté or Raphaël Varane, Upamecano proved that he had everything of a leader on the ground.
Leader in the field
The international retirement of Raphaël Varane redistributes the cards in defense and Upamecano is essential today as evidence when taking over from the Manchester United player. In the list that Didier Deschamps will unveil next Thursday for the matches against the Netherlands and Ireland, on March 24 and 27 (Euro 2024 qualifiers), Upamecano will have to put on the leader’s costume. “As a central defender it is important to give orders, but before, I always had a sore throat after games. Today it’s gone“, he told the team before the first leg against PSG. Varane gone, it will be his turn to give voice. “I do it at Bayern, so why not in the France team?“, he said during the World Cup. Even more now.
