Kylian Mbappé, the captain of the French national team, clearly fears one of his teammates in a specific aspect of the game.
The new Real Madrid striker, like several other players, dreads the abilities of French goalkeeper Mike Maignan in penalty shootouts.
The AC Milan keeper is among the best in the world in this area, and Mbappé is delighted to have him on his team.
The former Lille goalkeeper has often proven intimidating to shooters, as seen in the Euro quarter-final match between France and Portugal. The French emerged victorious in the penalty shootout, with Joao Felix’s crucial penalty hitting the post rather than finding the net. Though Maignan didn’t personally save the penalty, his presence in goal influenced the Portuguese player.
This is the explanation Mbappé gave for Felix’s miss at the end of the game.
“For Kylian Mbappé, it’s clear that Mike Maignan, one of his teammates with the Blues, scares shooters and that has a big influence.
“He scares. I don’t have an exact explanation, but when Joao Félix hits the post, it’s because he thinks he’s facing a goalkeeper who’s going to get there,” he said.
As a reminder, the Blues will face Spain in the semi-finals on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
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