Kylian Mbappe must do something he has done just once in his career to reach a second Nations League final – beat Lamine Yamal.
The France skipper will lead his side out on Thursday night at Stuttgart’s MHPArena against Spain in a rematch of the 2021 final.
Four years ago, Mbappe proved to be the match-winner in a 2-1 victory for Les Bleus in a match marred with controversy – which led to offside guidelines being updated.
With the game heading for extra-time, Mbappe popped up in the 80th minute to complete France‘s turnaround to seal their first Nations League title.
Two years later and Spain beat Croatia in the final on penalties as they look to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy.
And they go into the match as favourites with Luis de la Fuente’s men the Euro 2024 holders having beaten France in the semi-final.
But Mbappe will be hoping to continue his stunning form from his opening season at Real Madrid after joining from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
The 26-year-old scored 43 goals in 56 matches in all competitions, with his 31 LaLiga strikes seeing him scoop his first European Golden Boot.
Five of his goals came against Barcelona, but it was Blaugrana winger Yamal that had the last laugh in their meetings.
Real and Barca met on four occasions, with the Catalan club emerging victorious on each occasion.
Hansi Flick’s side prevailed in both of their Spanish top-flight outings as they finished four points ahead of Los Blancos at the top of the standings.
And they also won in the finals of both the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
While Mbappe scored in the two matches, as well as a hat-trick in the 4-3 LaLiga defeat at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Yamal also starred.
He found the back of the net in each of the league meetings between the two teams, while also being on target in Barca’s 5-2 Super Cup win.
The 17-year-old then supplied two assists to help Barca come from 2-1 down to win 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.
In the seven total head-to-head meetings between Yamal and Mbappe, the teenager has been on the winning side on six occasions.
In the season prior to Mbappe’s switch to the Bernabeu, he came up against the La Masia graduate in the Champions League while on PSG’s books.
Yamal helped Barca to a 3-2 quarter-final first leg victory, before an Mbappe-inspired performance saw Les Parisiens book their place in the semi-finals.
In what is Mbappe’s only victory over Yamal, he scored twice in a 4-1 away win – cancelling out the assist the latter did for Raphinha in the game’s opening goal.
But in their next battle, it was Yamal that sent Mbappe packing as he starred in Spain’s 2-1 Euro 2024 semi-final win.
Mbappe helped France take an early lead after laying on the assist for Randal Kolo Muani’s eighth-minute strike.
Yamal then equalised in exquisite fashion after curling into the top left corner from range, before Dani Olmo completed the turnaround shortly after.
And having come off the back of a season in which he’s scored 18 goals and chipped in with 25 assists, you wouldn’t put it past him of once again stealing the show.
