Golden Ball. Three weeks before the ceremony, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are slowing down

He is undoubtedly the future of world football. At the age of 24 and 23, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are already considered the best players on the planet, now mention the Messi – Ronaldo face-off that kept the football world in suspense for a long time. But as brilliant as these two football superstars are, they also do not shy away from laxity. Over several weeks, and strangely at similar times, the French and Norwegians have shown surprising difficulties.

Did fatigue bother Kylian Mbappe?

“I think he was tired in this match. We play every three days, it weighs a little. , Like many observers, Ousmane Dembele is well aware that Kylian Mbappe was not in his best form last Sunday against Rennes (3-1 win for PSG). Asked after the meeting, the French winger preferred to put it down to fatigue. “He is not disappointed. He will notice immediately”The former Barcelona player added.

Mbappe tired? In any case, this is the sound of the story that has been coming back in recent weeks. The French will have to pay the price of poor preparation by being sidelined. However, he had a great start to the season with 8 goals in his last 5 matches. But nothing since then.

His last goal came on 19 September against Dortmund in the Champions League. Excluded due to injury against OM, he remained silent against Clermont (0-0). But more worryingly, he looked to be in big trouble against Newcastle during the Parisians’ defeat at St James’ Park (4-1). In the 90 minutes he spent on the pitch, the Paris number 7 only had a shot on goal once.

On Sunday against Rennes, Mbappe was more restless but was out with a big miss, which was unusual for a player of his calibre. The Blues captain missed the target, after Mandanda dribbled off the hook, although the goal was empty.

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A surprising failure that seems to confirm Kylian Mbappe’s less than good shot. Less fast, less effective in front of goal, his performances surprised even his coach Luis Enrique. “It is true that it is a bit strange that he did not score in this match, The Spanish technician slipped after the Rennes match. But this is an anecdote. I remember what he brings to the team on offense and defense. , Facing the Netherlands and then Scotland, he will have two fresh chances to get back on track.

Holland, logical drop in speed?

When we look at Erling Haaland’s stats, it almost seems insulting to talk about a less than good shot as the Norwegian crushes the stats. Like Kylian Mbappe, the striker has already scored 8 goals this season and is the sole leader in the Premier League scorer ranking.

Adding his two assists, Haaland is already involved in 10 goals, in just 12 matches, in all competitions. Yes, but statistics don’t tell the whole story. The Norwegian giants are already suffering a short drought in the Champions League. Silent during the first two days, he has not scored in C1 since the second leg of last season’s quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, that is, five consecutive matches without a goal.

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What is even more unusual is that Erling Haaland has made two consecutive Premier League appearances. Against Wolverhampton (2–1 loss), he only had a shot on goal once in 90 minutes. Last Sunday, on the Arsenal pitch (1-0 loss), it was even worse as he did not even manage to try his luck in a match well-padlocked by William Saliba and Gabriel.

One shot in two Premier League matches, three consecutive matches without finding fault (he also kept quiet against Leipzig in the Champions League), Manchester City supporters are not used to seeing so little influence from their star. It’s quite simple, since his transfer to England, this is only the second time that Haaland has not scored in a three-match series. At the end of last season, he made no mistakes in five matches, including the Champions League final.

In the end, it is Haaland’s XXL statistics since his arrival that distort reality. With 60 goals in 65 matches for the Citizens, the Norwegian has incredible efficiency that is practically impossible to maintain over time. Deprived of the Kevin De Bruyne who knew how to find him so well, it seems almost normal to see Erling Haaland scoring a little less.

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But whether it’s Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland, the notion of normality seems to be irrelevant, as both players are anything but normal. Three weeks before the Ballon d’Or, he is experiencing a slump. Let’s bet that in two weeks they’ll go meter crazy without surprising anyone.