France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe fights for the ball with Spain's goalkeeper #23 Unai Simon during the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final football match between Spain and France at the Munich Football Arena in Munich on July 9, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
MUNICH: Kylian Mbappe shed his face mask but still looked a shadow of the player who has lit up past major international tournaments as the France captain was upstaged by Lamine Yamal in the Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain.
Mbappe did set up the early opener for France with a perfect cross for Randal Kolo Muani to head in, but he was left isolated for much of the game after that.
Instead, Yamal stole the headlines by becoming the youngest ever European Championship goal-scorer.
It has been a disappointing tournament for the France skipper and arguably the world’s best player, overshadowed by a broken nose, fitness struggles and poor form.
With vice-captain Antoine Griezmann also below his best, it was always going to be a big ask for France to reach the final.
“I am not going to give the responsibility to one player more than another. The responsibility is mine,” said coach Didier Deschamps.
“It was down to different reasons related to how their seasons ended, and there was also Mbappe’s injury.
“When you get to the semi-finals and play a Spain team of that quality, you have to be at your best,” he said, before admitting that was not the case for Mbappe.
The 25-year-old broke his nose in France’s opening game, a 1-0 win over Austria, compromising their chances from the outset. He missed the 0-0 draw with Holland, before returning to score a penalty in a 1-1 stalemate with Poland.
Mbappe wore a mask in that game to protect his nose and kept it on for the last-16 win over Belgium and the quarter-final against Portugal.
Yet he admitted to feeling inhibited by the mask, which reduced his field of vision and became clogged up with sweat.
“The mask was more of an inconvenience than anything else,” Deschamps said.
On Tuesday, 22 days after suffering the injury, Mbappe decided to play without the mask against Spain.
At first he appeared liberated on the left wing, and it looked set to be a long night for Spain’s 38-year-old right-back Jesus Navas as Mbappe set up France’s goal.
However, Yamal equalised in stunning fashion before the midway point in the first half, and Dani Olmo put Spain ahead four minutes later.
As Spain took control, Mbappe appeared isolated and it was no surprise to see Deschamps move his captain to a central role for the last half-hour.
Bradley Barcola was introduced on the left, and Griezmann entered the fray to support Mbappe.
The striker’s fitness was impacted by his reduced playing time at Paris Saint-Germain in the final months of the season, after he informed them of his intention to join Real Madrid.
That also hindered his ability to make his trademark electrifying runs in behind defences.
Mbappe also indicated in one press conference that he no longer had the teammates capable of giving him the necessary service.
“Lots of people refer to the way we played when I first came into the team, but we had players like Paul Pogba who are not here anymore,” he said.
“With him, all you need to do is put your head down and run in behind, and you would get the ball to your feet.”
Yet Mbappe was played in perfectly four minutes from the end against Spain by Barcola, only to blaze over.
Mbappe announced himself on the global stage when helping France win the 2018 World Cup as a teenager, and was the top scorer at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals, including a hattrick in the final against Argentina.
But the Euros have not brought the best out of Mbappe, who has one goal in nine appearances at the competition. — AFP
