Kylian Mbappé has altered his style of play in recent seasons, adding a special touch to score goals: closing his foot at the last moment. This move was developed under the guidance of former PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Mbappé, being a well-known player, had to evolve his game. To beat goalkeepers, he found a solution: closing his foot just before a shot, aiming for the near post to score. During an interview with Prime Video, the Paris Saint-Germain striker shared the details of the origin of this particular technique, explaining how he incorporated it into his skill set, with the help of Mauricio Pochettino.
« I only developed it in late 2020, early 2021 with Pochettino. I talked a lot with the coach, with his staff. We worked a lot, analyzing the fact that I often curled the ball to the far post, and whether it was defenders or goalkeepers, they were already positioned there. »
« I remember they told me that I had to find something to counter that. And we started working on it with empty dummies, doors, and cones. I had to hit between the cones without a goalkeeper, without anyone. Then we added a goalkeeper. I started doing it a little in training and then in matches. »
« Having multiple options for a striker is crucial. Sometimes you think, but sometimes you can’t think. Instinct comes with work. Now that I have that, I try to have as wide a range as possible because when you want to score as many goals as I do or am doing, you have to have several strings to your bow. »
[Video Link](https://twitter.com/PVSportFR/status/1746608038486679786)