This week from MBP School of Coaches we will compare Kilian Mbappé against Erling Halaand regarding 3 strikers’ fundamentals. Both players are under Real Madrid’s radar, and the main objective is to analyse who executes better the selected fundamentals, since those are the most important within Real Madrid’s game model.

ANALYZED FUNDAMENTALS

Block: Mobilize the attack

Fundamental: Run towards goal in behind the center backs

The first fundamental to analyze is “moving towards goal behind the back of the center backs”. Both forwards have a great ability to identify spatial imbalances within the defensive line of the rival team.

In addition, both players have a tendency to get behind the first center-back in order to obscure the mark and then attack the space through a change of pace. Finally, highlighting both Mbappé and Halaand have a great assertive-motor coordinative capacity, coordinating their unmarking with the pass of their partner.

Block: Offer support

Fundamental: Offer continuous support (with the first line)

In the following fundamental, we analyze the ability of both players to identify when they have to perform continuity supports from the first line to teammates who have difficulties to guarantee possession of the ball.

Halaand’s movements are always from a position of fixation of the central defender and guaranteeing the width of the team, which means that when he makes the support he has more space when receiving in interval situations.

On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe has a tendency to start from more dynamic positions and not as static as in the case of Halaand, which causes him to receive the ball with more opponents around. But thanks to his speed, he often manages to receive the ball and play with one touch, offering the necessary continuity to his team’s offensive phase.

Block: Lateral crosses

Fundamental: Change direction in unmarked runs to finish off crosses 

Finally, we have analyzed the great ability of both players to shoot in areas of spatial advantage in lateral crosses.

Both players correctly apply the fundamental, thanks to their spacial-time capacity and perfect timing with the crosser, arriving at the right moment in the finishing zone with more advantage.

In addition, both players stand out for their ability to feint in the movement of the first unmarked run and trick the nearby defender, getting more space to shoot.

ANALYSIS SUMMARY

Once the comparison between the 3 individual fundamentals of the striker has been made, we can conclude that both Kylian Mbappé and Herling Halaand have a great mastery of the foundation of all the fundamentals analyzed, with only small nuances between them due to the position on the pitch. . In the fundamental “Offer continuity support”, Halaand, having an established role as a center forward, manages to receive the ball in more advantageous situations by stretching the defensive line applying another foundation of strikers, while Mbappé has a more dynamic position , has a tendency to receive the ball in situations with more opponents around him.

On the other hand, in the application of the fundamental “Change direction in unmarked runs to finish off crosses”, both players know how to identify it and apply it correctly, the only nuance is the conditional capacity of both, where Halaand stands out more in the header over Mbappé, which offers you more shotgun possibilities.

Finally, the fundamental “Run towards goal behind center “, both players execute it perfectly, correctly identifying spatial imbalances in the defensive line of the rival team, in addition to both having a very high top speed, which that allows them to receive the ball with great spatial advantages.