Kylian Mbappe has been the leader offensively for France following the injury to Karim Benzema, who many expected to help carry the load on the attack. The 23-year-old has three goals in three games for Les Bleus.
Being young and more experienced, Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann sees a different Mbappe than he saw in 2018 when France won the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
“In 2018, he’s not the same player and the same personality as now,” Griezmann said (h/t Canal Supporters). “He talks a lot; he puts the joy of living. He knows he is important to us and that his every move is watched by journalists, fans and us. He is beyond reproach.”
Mbappe and France finished first in their group despite losing their last group-stage fixture against Tunisia. As a result, the French side will have a favorable matchup against Poland, who didn’t score in two of their three group-stage matches despite having Robert Lewandowski.
Nonetheless, Mbappe and Les Bleus still have to take the matchup seriously, considering it’s not just a win-or-go-home match. The 2022 World Cup has shown that there are upsets waiting to happen if a team cannot take care of business against a favorable opponent.
