Monaco v Juventus: Kylian Mbappe faces sternest test of his prodigious talent so far

It is only a matter of time now. Monaco have four matches left in Ligue 1 to score the five goals that will take their total for the league season to an eye-catching 100. Across competitions, just four more goals will lift the season’s haul to 150. They have at least two more Uefa Champions League matches to break that remarkable barrier. Form says they will do it by next week. Form also says Monaco score more readily the tougher the opposition. An odyssey that began back in July with a defeat in Istanbul against Fenerbahce in the first leg of the third qualifying round of this European Cup, has gathered an extraordinary momentum. A team not so long ago derided as cautious and dull, have galloped towards Wednesday’s meeting with Juventus at the Stade Louis II. __________________________________ Read more ■ Moanco: Five reasons why they will win the Champions League ■ Juventus: Five reasons why they will win the Champions League ■ Atletico: Five reasons why they will win the Champions League ■ Real Madrid: Five reasons why they will win the Champions League __________________________________ If Monaco were efficient at overcoming Fenerbahce and Villarreal in the pre-group phase, and slick in topping a group where they helped condemn Tottenham Hotspur to third place, their knockout stage has been sensational. They scored six times against Manchester City, and another six against Borussia Dortmund to reach the last four. A teenager has led the charge. Kylian Mbappe struck his 11th goal in nine league starts on Saturday, a run of domestic form paralleling his impact on the Champions League, where he has netted in every fixture this year. He established a new record as the youngest footballer — he turned 18 in December — to reach five goals in the European Cup. Only one player has ever scored his first five in less playing time. That precedent was set at Monaco, too. It was Thierry Henry, 19 seasons ago. That year Henry, then just 20, galvanised a march to a semi-final against Juventus. Mbappe would be likened to Henry even without that coincidence, for his pace, his cool finishing and his sheer chutzpah. He is likened, too, to Anthony Martial, who, aged 20, was part of the Monaco team of two seasons ago, who made it as far as a quarter-final against Juventus and was then signed by Manchester United for a fee that could still rise to around €80 million (Dh320.8m) if he reaches certain targets at United. Projections of the kind of price Mbappe will command are soaring well above that. Kylian Mbappe could follow in the footsteps of Anthony Martial by leaving Monaco in a big-money move. Lionel Cironneau / AP Photo If he can trouble Juventus in anything like the way he confounded Manchester City and Dortmund, it will grow even higher. Part of the fascination of watching his kind of sudden rise to global prominence is in the deciphering of the flaws, detecting the raw edges to his game. They are well hidden so far. But on Wednesday, Mbappe is up against football’s most savvy defence. Against Juve, playing off Radamel Falcao in Monaco’s preferred 4-4-2, he will at times drift towards the left, from where he cuts in impressively. That will bring him in territory marshalled by Dani Alves, three times a Champions League winner. Closer to goal, his formidable strength must be measured against Giorgio Chiellini, veteran of 90 caps for Italy, and over 400 games for Juventus. Giorgio Chiellini and the Juventus defence will provide Kylian Mbappe his sternest test so far in the Champions League. Paolo Magni / EPA His movements in and around the penalty box will be second-guessed by Leonardo Bonucci, a magnificent combination of sixth-sense and pure steel. Eke out space from that lot and then there’s Gianluigi Buffon to confront. “I am glad to be playing against a goalkeeper who has made his mark in history,” Mbappe told uefa.com. A keeper who had made his debut for Italy even before Henry was making a name for himself in European club football. Buffon is 39, more than twice Mbappe’s age. This Juventus defence kept two clean sheets in the last round against the Barcelona of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. Buffon captains a team who have not let in a Champions League goal for their last 531 minutes of action in the competition. Prolific Monaco and Mbappe are up against the big boys. Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

Monaco v Juventus: Kylian Mbappe faces sternest test of his prodigious talent so far

Ian Hawkey previews the first leg of the Uefa Champions League semi-final between Monaco and Juventus, paying particular attention to Monaco's teenage forward Kylian Mbappe.