Kylian Mbappe by Ed Hawkins

Author:Ed Hawkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic UK
Published: 2021-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CITY STUNNER

When Kylian and his family were worrying about whether Kylian should move early from Monaco or not, a scout told them that if he walked into a different first-team dressing room they would say, “Who are you?”

Well, after his goalscoring glut every dressing room in Europe knew who Kylian was. He had earned his stripes in men’s football and he had proven his doubters wrong.

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim had been hugely impressed by Kylian’s play. So it was time to unleash him from the start on the biggest stage possible: the Champions League.

And against Manchester City no less, managed by the legend that is Pep Guardiola. It is crazy to think that Kylian was only eighteen years old when Jardim pulled him to one side in training in the days before the game and said, “You are starting against Manchester City.” Even crazier to think that Kylian was not in the least bit nervous. Instead he told his manager that it was a decision he wouldn’t regret.

Earlier in the season Kylian had made two Champions League appearances, but both were off the bench, against CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen. In Manchester, he would play from the start in one of the biggest stadiums in Europe, in front of more than 50,000 fans and against some of the world’s best defenders.

There were still no nerves from Kylian as he and his Monaco teammates took to the pitch. Kylian was desperate to do well and had been told to attack-attack-attack down Manchester City’s left side. Coach Jardim thought City were weak there and Kylian would make hay.

He was right. With the game poised at 1–1 after Radamel Falcao had equalised Raheem Sterling’s goal, Kylian’s pace and positivity brought him a chance. He outpaced the legend Yaya Touré but fired his shot wide. Next time, Kylian seemed to be saying to himself. He then bamboozled Nicolás Otamendi with a brilliant turn. Then he fooled the defender again, nutmegging him and leaving him in a heap on the turf.

In the fortieth minute, Kylian gave Monaco a sensational lead. And it was all down to his speed and brains. A clipped pass in behind the City defence looked harmless but Kylian burst through a gap, spinning off the shoulder of poor Nicolás again. Suddenly in a blur, Kylian was in on goal and the ball was in the back of the net.

“MMM-BA-PAY!” screamed the commentator.

At eighteen years and two months Kylian was the second-youngest Frenchman to score in the Champions League. The youngest was Karim Benzema. Not bad company, was it?

Kylian should have had another goal in the second half as City and Monaco traded goals in a thrilling game. It would finish 5–3 to City but Monaco were far from disheartened. They had scored crucial away goals, which would make a difference if the scores were level on aggregate (the total number of goals scored in both games). City were disappointed. And a little afraid. What would Kylian do to them next time?

City were right to be worried.

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