Real Madrid CF ON SI

Thierry Henry Explains Why Kylian Mbappe Is Better Than Erling Haaland

Thierry Henry shares his take on the Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland debate.
Apratim Banerjee|
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland found the back of the net during the recent clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Los Blancos won the UEFA Champions League knockout playoff first leg 3-2.

MORE: Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Full Match Highlights As Jude Bellingham Secures Champions League Win

Haaland scored twice for City, while Mbappe scored once during the game. The two attackers are often regarded among the best players in world football.

France legend Thierry Henry, though, is evident in his stance of who is better. Henry sided with his countryman, Mbappe, and offered a detailed explanation for his stance.

Henry said:

Kylian, for me, has more of a pass. I'll explain. This is a guy that's trying to play as a nine for one and a half years. They tried to do it at Paris Saint-Germain and it didn't work out too much. Now he is doing it at Real Madrid, the biggest club in Europe. He has to adapt to that.

He added:

We thought that they were going to be the two guys that were going to come after [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. But now, instead of having a confirmation of what they are, people are still questioning the way they play. But not the stats, because the stats are magnificent in terms of goals.

Jamie Carragher asked Henry whether he doesn't think Haaland and Mbappe are two of the best in the world. Henry replied:

They are. Maybe not the two best, but they are top. People will argue. People will say Mbappe. Some people will say Vinicius. Some people will say Lamine Yamal is coming. Whatever. I'm just saying it is not a sure thing. We thought it was going to be a sure thing.

Further asked to pick between Haaland and Mbappe, Henry said:

Mbappe, all day. Because he does - or offers - different options. For a coach, he can play on the right, he can play on the left, and he can play in the middle. Can Haaland play any position other than a nine?

Henry also claimed that Haaland is more straightforward to mark for a defender as he is more predictable than Mbappe. Overall, Henry reckons Kylian Mbappe has more to offer in his arsenal.

The Latest Real Madrid News:

Transcript: Carlo Ancelotti’s Post-Match Press Conference Following Real Madrid’s Win Against Manchester City

Thibaut Courtois Jokingly Reacts To Vinicius Jr. Banner From Man City Fans

Vinicius Jr. Breaks One Of Lionel Messi's Champions League Records With Man City Display

Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz Knows The Champions League Tie vs Manchester City Is Far From Over

Published
Apratim Banerjee
APRATIM BANERJEE

Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.

Home/News