Ex-Barcelona Defender Revisits ‘Brutal’ Encounter With Kylian Mbappe- “They Took Me Off in the 30th Minute”

Kylian Mbappe has earned himself the title of one of the best in modern soccer. The French sensation, with his lightning pace and exceptional ball control, has proven to be a handful for even the most skilled defenders. Junior Firpo, a former Barcelona defender, recently shared his experience of going up against the PSG striker, remembering a match that left a lasting impression on him.

Junior Firpo is a 27-year-old who plays as a left-back for EFL Championship club Leeds United. But before that, he played with the Spanish giants Barcelona and it was during this time that he faced off against Kylian Mbappe.

Junior Firpo recalls the daunting task of stopping Kylian Mbappe

Junior Firpo recently sat down in an interview with Relevo. Here he recalled his time playing for Barcelona and remembered the UCL Round of 16 match, against PSG in 2021. In the match, he was substituted and was given the task of containing Kylian Mbappe. Despite the challenging task, Firpo believes this was his “best game”.

Recalling the intensity of the match, Firpo described Mbappe’s impact as a “brutal embarkation.” He further added, “He (Kylian Mbappe) came from a first game where he scored a hat-trick and that day he also started very well [Mbappe scored a penalty]. I was taken off in the 30th minute and almost without warming up, we had to try to equalize the tie.”

Talking about his role, the left-back stated, ” In training, they saw that I was very competitive one-on-one. And he(Ronald Koeman) put me against Mbappé all over the pitch.” “It went well, probably my best game, although we ended up getting knocked out,” Firpo concluded.

Read More: Kylian Mbappe Can Stay at PSG Next Season on One Condition – “Not a Question of Money”

While Barcelona did manage to play a 1-1 draw in that match, they lost 4-1 in the second leg with the 24-year-old scoring a hat-trick. This just shows the immense talent that Kylian Mbappe possesses. However, one ex-Premier League star believes that the French striker can get even stronger after leaving PSG.

Mbappe is being told to leave PSG for his benefit

The question of whether Kylian Mbappe should leave PSG and explore other leagues to challenge himself has been widely debated. Chris Waddle, a former England international, recently shared his insights on the matter. In an interview, he praised the former World Cup winner by calling him a “tremendous asset and a constant threat to opposing defenders”.

However, Waddle did add, “He’ll be even stronger when he leaves Ligue 1.” It certainly is an interesting claim. Also, with his contract expiring next year, it will be intriguing to see if Kylian Mbappe will indeed depart from Ligue 1.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

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