Kylian Mbappé: Predator in the box

In this article of our world-class skills series, we revisit a player who is the epitome of world class. He creates opportunities for his team-mates and is a merciless goal-scorer, and here we focus on his movement to penetrate the box and his potency in front of goal. The player in question is a chameleon of signature skills: France’s Kylian Mbappé.

A player who regularly produces big moments in the biggest games, Mbappé can erupt into the box or ghost in on the blind side and punish the opposition in the blink of an eye. Alternatively, he can simply shift the ball inside and shoot on goal with pinpoint accuracy. The following footage captures Mbappe`s predatory instincts and Golden Boot winning ruthlessness.

Key insights

A master of varying his rhythm to gain a tactical advantage, Mbappé frequently eases off the accelerator and relaxes his demeanour when approaching the penalty area, both with and without the ball. This deliberate tactic breaks the opponent’s rhythm, slowing them to a near standstill and giving them a false sense that they have time to take a breather – a kind of calm before the storm as he looks to carve out a goalscoring opportunity. Then, bang, Mbappé is in on goal and away celebrating before the opposition realise what has happened. It is like seeing the defenders being pickpocketed, reaching for their watches after he has scored.

With stealthy guile and predatory instincts, Mbappé seeks to penetrate the space in the box or in behind the defensive line. He entices his opponents out of position and to over commit or anticipates the slightest lapse in concentration or loss of positional perspective before springing to life. When the opposition are at their most vulnerable, he pounces at breathtaking speed and combines with a team-mate to bypass the defence and then finish on goal with razor-sharp technique. His movement is so quick, timed to perfection and with an element of surprise, making it nigh on impossible for the opposition to react and recover in time.

Mbappé is a defender’s worst nightmare, as they can hardly know what to expect as he arrests their attention. Their conundrum becomes all too apparent as he springs into action like a cheetah exploding down the channel and providing a sumptuous assist from his left foot (as discussed in the first article in this series, “Kylian Mbappé: Decelerate to accelerate”) or darting into the box and striking a laser guided volley into the bottom corner with his right foot (as discussed in this article). His options seem limitless as he can produce unpredictable brilliance and punish the tiniest errors, heightening the opposition’s anxiety and therefore generating hesitancy and rashness that plays into Mbappé’s hands.

Example 1: In and out in the blink of an eye

Our first example is a give-and-go one-two executed with beautiful timing, a dynamic change of tempo and precise technique – a model of football simplicity and ruthless efficiency. It is a fantastic example of Mbappé slowing the game down to speed it up. On this occasion, he entices the opposition towards him and makes use of a decoy runner that opens the space before exploding forwards and exploiting the opportunity that has been created. As we join the action, Mbappé is approaching the corner of the box with the opposition defenders retreating across it.

(1/7) As Mbappé nudges the ball forwards with the outside of his right foot, he seizes the attention of the opposition defenders, who are all too aware that he could come inside and go directly for goal or shift the ball long to get in behind them. Their preoccupation with the threat posed by Mbappé means that they lose sight of the emerging state of play.

(2/7) As Mbappé cuts inside onto his right foot and heads towards goal, his two closest opponents are at a near standstill and are drawn out to cover his movement inside. All the opposition players have eyes on Mbappé, leaving them vulnerable to penetrating runs into the box from deeper-lying positions.

(3/7) Mbappé nudges the ball into the area, which intensifies the opposition’s focus and sense of insecurity. With his closest opponents crouched down and facing away from goal as they marshal him, he plays a precisely weighted pass with the instep of his right foot on the outside of the opposition right-back for the run of his team-mate, who ghosts in behind an oblivious defensive line.

(4/7) While the race to the ball is on and the opposition are scrambling to recover, Mbappé bursts towards the six-yard box in anticipation of a return ball.

(5/7) As his team-mate twists to play a delightful cut-back, the opposition are fixated on the ball. Mbappé checks his run to allow himself a perfectly coordinated step before he connects with the ball.

(6/7) With no margin for error and only a narrow gap providing a route to goal, Mbappé strikes the ball first time with instep of his right foot.

(7/7) This goal is a fine example of football at its simplistic best. Collectively contrived in the blink of an eye, it was too clever, quick and precise for the opposition defence.

Example 2: The opposition are punished before they realise what has happened

Our next clip is another shining example of how Mbappé penetrates space in the box and then punishes the opposition. It is a stunning display of his predatory instincts, technical skill and ruthlessness in front of goal. It also explains why opponents seem paralysed with fear and dilemma when he is high up the pitch on the left-hand channel. We join the action as his team-mate receives the ball in the far-left corner of the pitch, with Mbappé drifting with intent towards the box.

(1/7) Approaching the box and anticipating his team-mate’s next move, Mbappé sees the opportunity to expose the space between the lines and inside the triangle formed by the three closest opposition players in and around the box.

(2/7) As his team-mate turns back and looks inside, Mbappé is alert on the front foot and pounces to steal a march on the flat-footed opponent to his left, while the two other opposition players policing his movement are yet to react.

(3/7) As he darts into the space to meet the ball, Mbappé’s quick thinking and initiative have given him the upper hand, and he now seeks to take advantage of the space.

(4/7) Strength, technique and football intelligence further substantiate Mbappé’s advantage. While managing to keep his opponent on the wrong side, he lets the ball run onto his right foot, takes the pace off it and opens his body to manoeuvre himself and the ball into a more favourable position oriented towards the goal.

(5/7) With the opponent to his left now out of the equation, Mbappé nudges the ball further to the right and towards the edge of the box to cleverly work a more threatening angle, whilst maintaining the space between himself and the opposition player who is poised to press.

(6/7) Having worked the space beautifully and with the opposition in disarray, Mbappé has carved open a clear sight of goal and readies himself to pull the trigger.

(7/7) A quick glance at goal and a short backlift is all he needs before sending the ball flying into the top corner of the net.

Example 3: What a player, what a goal

Our final clip is an unforgettable moment of World Cup history and a wonderful example of an iconic player stepping up when needed most on the biggest international stage. After receiving two exceedingly difficult passes while under the extreme pressure of the match in question, the magnitude of what Mbappé orchestrates to produce one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time is quite extraordinary. It also involves an ingenious contortion of his give-and-go signature move and is a fabulous example of a player refusing to be beaten and finding a way to get his team back in the game. We join the action as the France no. 14, Adrien Rabiot, moves infield looking to loft the ball into the final third.

(1/9) As his team-mate turns infield and looks up, Mbappé is alert and showing for the ball, ready to break free from the defender’s shackles.

(2/9) As the ball is lofted forwards, Mbappé gets loose of his marker and positions himself on the half turn with a comprehensive view of any developing play and ready to spring into life.

(3/9) Having drawn the defender out of position to create the space in behind, Mbappé senses the opportunity for a give-and-go and plays a cushioned header whilst simultaneously planting his right foot so that he can propel himself forwards in anticipation of a return ball.

(4/9) Mbappé’s quick thinking and agile technique enable him to leave his opponent facing the opposite direction while he drives inside to exploit the space vacated.

(5/9) Within a fraction of a second Mbappé is in full flight and surging towards the space in behind the defensive line.

(6/9) His footballing nous, athleticism and winning mentality enable him to outmanoeuvre his opponents and thus afford him the time and space to slow down and assess the flight of the ball so he can get his shot away.

(7/9) Horizontally tilted to get his right foot over the ball, Mbappé shows incredible composure and sublime technique by striking it close to the ground and generating the force and trajectory to keep the ball low and send it flying towards the bottom right corner of the goal.

(8/9) His posture and technique showcase his pure footballing genius.

(9/9) What a player, what a goal.

Summary

A player who regularly produces big moments in the biggest games, Mbappé uses his remarkable footballing attributes and deploys them unpredictably to achieve maximum effect. Both cunning and ingenious, he varies his rhythm, combines with team-mates and erupts into action around the edge of the penalty area to attack the space between opponents or breach the defensive line. His forays into the box are applied to such irresistible effect, and they are so quick, precise and mercurial that they are over before the opposition realize they stated.