“I knew what I had to do” – Josip Stanisic says facing Bayern teammate in training helped him ‘defend smartly’ against Mbappe during Nations League clash

Bayern Munich right-back Josip Stanisic went up against PSG attacker Kylian Mbappe when France and Croatia locked horns in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month.

The defender, who had a decent performance during the game, has revealed what helped him put in such an impressive display at the Stade de France.

Kylian Mbappe has proven to be a huge nightmare to even some of the finest defenders in Europe over the last couple of years, terrorizing them with his sheer pace. Josip Stanisic has explained that he had to keep his distance when marking the Frenchman to avoid falling victim to his incredible pace.

The Bayern Munich star told German outlet Kicker:

“His pace is well known, so as a defender you have to keep your distance because when he’s gone you can’t catch up."

Josip Stanisic is surrounded by multiple pacy attackers who could cause opposition defenders serious problems on the flanks at Bayern Munich. The Croatian has revealed that coming against a player like Kingsley Coman in training prepared him to thrive against Kylian Mbappe. He said:

“I tried to defend smartly, which worked well. I’m up against quick players like Kingsley Coman in training. I knew what I had to do."

It is worth noting that Croatia came out on top with a 1-0 victory during the Nations League clash with France in June, with Stanisic doing well to contain Mbappe during the encounter.

The defender recorded six tackles and also won all of his seven ground duels. The Frenchman, on the other hand, fired blanks in front of goal and completed just 50% of his dribble attempts.

What lies ahead for Josip Stanisic and Kylian Mbappe?

The 23-year-old is one of the fastest players in the football world right now.

It has been an intense period for the PSG winger over the last few months amid speculation about his future. Mbappe eventually sorted the situation by committing his future to the Parisians. He will want to continue to make an impact when the new season kicks off.

Stanisic is expected to stay put at the Allianz Arena, with two years still left on his contract with Bayern.