France under par but Kylian Mbappe sends message with biggest haul yet in Dream Team Euros
FRANCE failed to convert their supremacy against Poland on Tuesday afternoon into what would have been a massively helpful win.
Les Bleus registered 19 shots, eight of them on target, but Kylian Mbappe’s (£7.5m) penalty was ultimately cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski’s (£5m) spot-kick (at the second time of asking) for a 1-1 draw.
This result meant Didier Deschamps’ side finished second in Group D which has placed them in what appears to be the difficult side of the knockout draw, alongside Spain, Germany and Portugal.
While that misstep is likely to have ramifications in the world of Dream Team Euros, gaffers should be enthused by Mbappe’s performance in Matchday 3.
Seemingly unhindered by the mask, France’s No10 banked 18 points in one fell swoop – the biggest haul of the tournament to date.
The prolific 25-year-old registered a whopping five shots on target (one being his goal) and he earned the maximum of five bonus points, thanks in no small part to fact he completed six successful dribbles.
Naturally, many Dream Team Euros managers were uncertain of Mbappe’s availability prior to the Matchday 3 deadline as his broken nose forced him to miss the game against Netherlands in Matchday 2, but his popularity will surely surge now he’s back in action.
With unlimited transfers available before the round of 16 and popular England stars under-performing, such as Harry Kane (£7.5m) and Jude Bellingham (£6m), Mbappe may well end up as the most-recruited player this week – he’s currently third.
That being said, the World Cup runners-up undoubtedly slipped up by finishing second in their group instead of first.
Dream Team Euros bosses will understandably be keen on assets from France, Portugal, Spain and Germany but if those four teams end up meeting each other in the quarter-finals, many gaffers will end up with conflicted XIs.
For example, a team with multiple France defenders and attack-minded Portugal players might look good in isolation but if Cristiano Ronaldo (£6m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6m) have to take on Theo Hernandez (£5m) and William Saliba (£4.5m) in Matchday 5 then it’s highly unlikely both pairs will deliver satisfactory returns.
Some players have such a high ceiling that they are immune to the schedule and Mbappe very much falls into that category but the potential for these blockbuster quarter-finals is something to bear in mind.
Some pundits have drawn comparisons between England and France’s struggles as both teams earned five points in their respective groups via just two goals scored.
However, the underlying numbers tell a different story.
Deschamps’ troops have generated more xG than any other team at the tournament so far while Gareth Southgate’s side rank 19th on the list – three of the teams below the Three Lions also have a game in hand.
France have let fly with 47 shots overall, a tally only bettered by Germany, whereas England have recorded just 29 – only Georgia, Slovenia, Serbia and Scotland have averaged fewer shots per 90 minutes at the time of writing.
There’s no doubt France have been under par so far but they were in a tough group and the stats suggest they have been several steps above England in terms of chance creation.
Mbappe will be a popular captain in Matchday 4.