After the goal-fest in Lille, focus on Kylian Mbappé!

There was nothing really to worry about concerning Kylian Mbappé's form; there was just a slight delay at the start, following a suspension and a small muscle niggle, but nothing to slow down his juggernaut-like assault on French footballing statistics. It must be said that his record speaks volumes about his ability to top the rankings: Four Ligue 1 top scorer trophies, with the title of Europe's most decisive player clinched at the ned of last season. In the league alone, Kylian Mbappé ended 2021-2022 with the status of top scorer and assists leader. So we can only imagine that he was raring to go as the current campaign kicked off.

And it didn't take long for him to start making opposing defences tremble - as well as the net! He had four shots on target on his return to the pitch against Montpellier, and he scored a goal with a superb volley from a corner. And, as one's appetite grows with eating, the no7 was hungry for his second match of the season against Lille. Eight short seconds was all it took for Kylian to bag his first goal of the match...

Lined up at centre-forward, he formed a stunning trio with Leo Messi and Neymar Jr, and together they sent shivers through the Stade Pierre Mauroy, like a winter breeze in the middle of August. The three forwards were diabolical, making the LOSC defence twirl in a symphony that bordered on genius on Sunday evening.

Well accompanied by the daring rushes of Nuno Mendes on the left and Achraf Hakimi on the right, the Parisians gave Les Dogues no quarter. Combinations, movement, calls, defensive tracking and dribbles: it was the complete package. And, inevitably, Kylian Mbappé was one of the stars of the show.

So yes, it looked super-impressive, but it was also incredible from a statistical point of view. . Positioned in a No9 role, the Parisian centre-forward clocked a superb attacking performance, with a game-high six shots for three goals, and a return to the capital with the match ball!

From José Fonte to Leo Jardim, there was only one step for the French world champion, who made the stats count, with a game-high five dribbles. But also the game's highest challenge count (11), seven of which he won. Quite simply, only Marquinhos did better in this area, with eight.

Finally, in addition to the goal-scorer's hat, Mbappé wore a solidly defensive tunic, winning two balls in meaty challenges and delivering two passes that led directly to shots from teammates. Moreover, we can't deny the pleasure of watching Kylian Mbappé's feint for Neymar Jr at the end of the match.

DID YOU KNOW?

As mentioned, the attacking trio tortured Lille's defence on Sunday night, constantly raining down waves on Leo Jardim's goal. But do you know who Kylian Mbappé made the most passes to during the match? Neymar Jr!

Indeed, the Frenchman delivered no fewer than 11 passes to the Brazilian. And the latter returned the favour, with ten, each one as dangerous as the others. The bow and the arrow, for the same target.

COACH GALTIER'S COMMENTS

"Our play changes with the presence of Kylian. At the beginning, we were focused on the Trophée des Champions, for which he was suspended, and then there was his little injury. We are trying to find the best balance for the front three: Messi, Kylian and Neymar Jr. Tonight they played for each other, with some very striking images on the pitch, with collective effort. Those defensive and offensive runs were very important, as was the complicity you could see between them. Everyone did their part, but I appreciated the way they expressed themselves, with the desire to play for each other."

THE CRAZY STAT

Kylian scored the first goal of the game after a great combination at the start of the match. Anyone who was late for kick-off would have missed seeing him score after... 8.36 seconds exactly! It was the fastest goal in capital-club history, ahead of Paul Le Guen (13 seconds, against APOEL FC on 28/09/1993 in the Cup Winners' Cup).