In a result which sent shockwaves across the world, World Cup winners France made an early exit from Euro 2020 as they went down 5-4 on penalties after the game was locked at 3-3 against Switzerland at Romania’s Arena Nationala.
Switzerland took the lead through Seferovic and missed a chance to take a 2-0 lead after Ricardo Rodriguez couldn’t convert from the spot. Thereafter, Karim Benzema scored a brace which was followed by Paul Pogba scoring a top goal. However, Switzerland scored twice in the final 10 minutes with Haris Seferovic and Mario Gavranovic getting on the score-sheet.
Kylian Mbappe was designated as the fifth penalty taker for France but the PSG striker saw his tame effort being saved by Yan Sommer. Although he notched an assist for Benzema’s second goal, his performance against Switzerland was sub-par. He had 95 per cent passing accuracy and also created some scoring opportunities but struggled to find his feet in front of goal.
The 22-year-old had six shots but none on target against the Swiss and no player in the current edition of Euro had more shots with none on target. In fact, in eight duels, he could only manage win two, as per Opta.
In 390 minutes of football in Euros, he only had three shots on target and created a mere seven chances. It must also be noted that he only completed 84 passes from the 96 attempted in the entire Euro 2020. From the 84 successful passes, only 19 were forward and 54 were sideways.
He lost possession on 62 occasions in four games, which is a staggering number.
Kylian Mbappe's performance in Euro 2020 in numbers
| Stat | Stat Value |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 4 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Touches | 183 |
| Possession Lost | 62 |
| Total Shots | 12 |
| Shots Off Target | 9 |
| Shot Accuracy | 25% |
| Chances Created | 7 |
| Total Passes Attempted | 96 |
| Successful Passes | 84 |
Stats Credit: Opta
Pele backs Mbappe to come back stronger
Legendary footballer Pele was amongst the first names to show support to Kylian Mbappe after France were knocked out of the Euros.
The Brazilian, who won the World Cup thrice, stated that Mbappe needs to move on from the penalty shootout disappointment as he has a bright future ahead.
