England’s path to World Cup glory just got a lot harder after Kylian Mbappe no-show | Football | Sport
England’s path to World Cup glory just got a touch harder (Image: Getty)
A French head loss on Bastille Day? It’s quite fitting, really. Depending on who you asked, some were suggesting Kylian Mbappe and co. already had one hand on the World Cup trophy.
How does anyone stop this France team? That was the question being asked throughout the tournament, well, Spain have just answered that with supreme confidence: death by a thousand passes.
It’s the sort of performance that will no doubt be ringing alarm bells inside Thomas Tuchel’s head. While France’s attacking firepower – at least on paper – appears on another level to that of England’s, their fundamentals are pretty similar.
Build the team around your world-class talent(s) and let them come up with as many match-winning moments as possible. For France, it’s Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, while in an England shirt, it’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
But that plan doesn’t count for a fully fit Ballon d’Or-winning Rodri strutting his stuff in the middle of the park. While he didn’t score in France’s first six matches of the tournament, one of the unsung heroes of Les Blues’ campaign was Michael Olise.
The Bayern Munich man was the heartbeat of France’s attack, helping press from the front and feed the ball to the likes of Mbappe and Dembele. He was a passenger throughout his 72 minutes on the pitch against Spain in Dallas.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has nicknamed Rodri ‘the computer’. While De la Fuente does give off the impression he has to ask his grandchildren how to reply to an email, in fairness to the 65-year-old, it’s an entirely appropriate description.
Rodri had Michael Olise in his back pocket (Image: Getty)
By the time a rival player has decided what to do, not only has Rodri clocked on, he’s already figured out the solution. On top of that, he’s spotted the run of his team-mate, and before you know it, a chance has been created at the opposite end of the pitch.
In a way, it’s the absence of individual stars that makes Spain such a formidable outfit. Of course, Lamine Yamal is the crown in the Spanish jewel, but he is set up to play in the same way as his French or English counterparts.
If Yamal doesn’t find the back of the net, it’s fine, because the winger’s role is just as dependent on his work off the ball. Replicate that across all 10 outfield positions on the pitch, and it’s no surprise they’ve only conceded one goal all tournament!
But when they do have the ball – which is more often than not – by goodness do they make a team suffer. And as was the case two years ago in the Euro 2024 final, that should panic England.
Lamine Yamal isn’t afraid to get involved in the ugly side of the game (Image: Getty)
With the introduction of Elliot Anderson and the continual improvement of Declan Rice, it’s true to say that England are better suited to that sort of opposition now. But with early forecasts showing the temperature might be above 30 degrees celcius by the time kick-off rolls around on Sunday, it could be a long afternoon for whichever midfield lines up against Rodri, Ruiz and co.
France’s attack was scintillating at times. But, ultimately, they were a peacock fluttering their feathers. Underneath there was a soft underbelly that, when tickled, couldn’t cope with the pressure. Spain have a steelyness that few can boast claim to, and if England can topple reigning champions Argentina, their path to World Cup glory might’ve just got that little bit harder.
