Wojciech Szczesny will start against Real Madrid and face Kylian Mbappé once again. The Polish keeper enters El Clásico with a clear mission, which he recently admitted. Mbappé arrives as Real Madrid’s main offensive threat and is enjoying an outstanding run of form. He has not won El Clásico yet, but he has already made the difference with decisive performances and crucial goals against Szczesny.
The numbers speak for themselves. Mbappé scored five goals in their last three matches against Barcelona, all of them against Szczesny. The keeper was even sent off in the Spanish Super Cup final after fouling Mbappé in a clear scoring chance. Their story goes back even further. The French star also scored against him in the Champions League, when PSG faced Juventus, and again at the Qatar World Cup.
A duel set to deliver a great spectacle
According to Mundo Deportivo, Mbappé has scored eight goals in five official matches against the goalkeeper, showing absolute dominance. So what is Szczesny’s goal now? To stop the French striker in an unforgettable showdown.
Szczesny acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge on ElevenSports. He praised the Real Madrid forward and admitted the problem he represents. “No, I am not afraid, but I have a lot of respect. I believe Kylian is currently one of the best players in the world, if not the best, and he is a constant threat in front of goal. Clearly he has a gift when he faces me. I don’t think anyone has scored so many goals against me, and we have only played five matches. That says a lot about his quality,” the goalkeeper said.
The Polish star wants to change the story in his first Clásico at the Bernabéu. The last three meetings ended with Barcelona victories, and Szczesny suffered against the French scorer. Now, the spotlight will put them head-to-head again, with millions of fans watching.
Mbappé will try to be just as lethal. Szczesny will fight to shut him down and break the streak. Will he finally succeed, as El Clásico prepares to write a new chapter in one of the most one-sided individual rivalries in recent years?
