England will meet France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. The focus will be on the duel between Kyle Walker and Kylian Mbappé. Can the English right-back stop the exceptional striker?
So far, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been Kylian Mbappé’s tournament. The French superstar just seems to be on a different level than his opponents. Mbappé is a man of superlatives: The 23-year-old combines incredible dynamism with excellent technique and an outstanding finish. The left winger of the “blues” has already scored five goals after four games in the Gulf state and prepared two more goals.
The big question before the quarter-finals between defending champions France and England (December 10, 2022, 8 p.m., live radio report and live ticker on sportschau.de) is therefore: Can Mbappé be stopped at all? Both “Three Lions” you think you have exactly the right man for this: right-back Kyle Walker.
Walker with a good record against Mbappé
Because the professional of Manchester City knows how to beat the high-speed goalscorer. The 32-year-old has four times with Manchester City in the Champions League against Mbappé’s club Paris St Germain played and won three times.
City professional Kyle Walker in a duel with Kylian Mbappé from Paris St Germain
Most importantly, he has always looked good in a head-to-head encounter with the winger – the French prodigy struck just once in those four games.
Walker: “I’m not rolling out the red carpet for him“
This time it is probably the “game of his life”. Walker is in good spirits to stop his opponent again – and has already sent a declaration of war in the direction of the high-speed striker. “I’m not going to roll out the red carpet for him and tell him, ‘Go score a goal‘” he said at the English press conference ahead of the football classic.
Duel of two top sprinters
Walker is predestined to slow down Mbappé. He’s 32 years old, but still very fast. The professional from Manchester City is considered to be very dynamic and has so far reached a top speed of 34.4 kilometers per hour at the World Cup – in the English round of 16 against Senegal (2-0).
An absolute top value for Walker – who, however, faces Mbappé’s 35.3 kilometers per hour in the round of 16 against Poland (3: 1). Only four players were quicker than the 23-year-old in Qatar. And he could probably be even faster if he gets the space to do so. Mbappé’s career best is a rocketing 37.9 kilometers per hour.
Anticipation – Walker’s key to success
In previous duels, Walker has made up for this slight deficit at the highest level by anticipating game situations. For him it will also be a matter of anticipating actions in advance and not giving the French winger any room to show off his athleticism.
Should Mbappé have the ball, Walker must first try to block the way to the English goal. His defensive colleagues Harry Maguire and John Stones in the center and Luke Shaw on the left wing position are then in demand. The English defense must work in tandem to stop Mbappé and the French offensive.
“We don’t play tennis“
Walker knows all of England will be looking at him. Not a burden for him, but an honor. “It’s my job to stop Mbappé“, he said. “I’ve played against him many times. I will show him respect, but not too much. Mbappé is a great footballer, but France has a lot more quality than that. We don’t play tennis, it’s not a one-on-one duel.”
The game against France should therefore not be reduced to how the right winger can be stopped, Walker continued: “The game isn’t England vs Mbappé, it’s England vs France.” This approach was already a secret of success in the duels between Manchester City and Paris St. Germain: “We didn’t just think about him. I think it will be the same on Saturday.”
“Mbappé is a very good tool“
The defending champion, Walker explained, would have numerous other offensive players who could decide the games in addition to the miracle striker. “Mbappé is a very good tool in their arsenal, but there are other good players that we shouldn’t underestimate. Players who have won major titles and the World Cup.”
Olivier Giroud, for example, who has been the record goalscorer in the “Team Tricolore“. Or Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann, top scorer of Euro 2016. “They can all cause problems for us.”
But most eyes will be on him and Mbappé. For one of the two, the tournament will be over after the match. A Do-or-diegame that Walker is looking forward to. “I’m representing my country in the quarter-finals of a World Cup, that’s really everything“, he said. “If we lose, I’ll go home.”
But it shouldn’t come to that. “We want to prevent that,” said Walker. “Mbappé won’t stand in my way if I hopefully win the World Cup.”