Ahead of its World Cup quarterfinal against France, England has a problem to solve — namely, how to stop the tournament’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappé, from adding to his tally.
Mbappé has been in sensational form in Qatar, scoring five goals in four games – two more than any other player.
That included a brace in his match against Poland in the Round of 16. He scored first with a booming strike into the top-left corner of the net, then followed it up with a curling effort into the opposite side.
But the 23-year-old has showcased more than just clinical finishing at the World Cup, terrorizing opponents with his phenomenal speed and ability to get behind the defensive line.
England may have an answer to Mbappé’s breakneck pace:
Kyle Walker has long been regarded as one of the fastest fullbacks in soccer, and the Manchester City star is expected to line up opposite the fleet-footed Frenchman on Saturday.
Indeed, former England striker Gary Lineker went as far as to suggest that Walker should have been rested against Senegal in the Round of 16, protecting the defender from potentially picking up an injury ahead of facing Mbappé.
One option for England manager Gareth Southgate would be to deploy five defenders against France, with Walker operating as a right-sided center-back. Otherwise, he could stick with the four-at-the-back formation that worked so effectively in the 3-0 win against Senegal.
Bottom line: Data provider Nielsen has defending champion France as the favorite by the very thinnest of margins, giving it a 51% chance of winning.
It will be an intriguing encounter at the Al Bayt Stadium, pitting two of the World Cup’s highest-scoring teams against each other.