Thomas Woods looks at the football world’s most intriguing talking points ahead of the weekend.
Is Mbappe the hottest property in Europe?
In 2014/15, a Monaco side went to England in the Champions League, scored three goals and left fans drooling.
That team won 3-1 at Arsenal and contained the likes of Anthony Martial and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco.
Were it not for woeful defending from corners, the current Monaco side would likely be travelling back to France with another English victory.
As it is, they lost 5-3 at Manchester City on Tuesday but their latest batch of youngsters made a huge impression. None more so than Kylian Mbappe.
The 18-year-old French striker scored against and frightened City with his pace and has already pinched Martial’s crown as “the new Thierry Henry”.
He already has two league hat-tricks this season.
Martial was sold for more than £50 million (Dh228m). What price will Mbappe go for when Europe’s big guns inevitably come calling?
Bale returning at a vital time to boost Madrid’s title bid
Real Madrid’s slip-up at Valencia on Wednesday night means Zinedine Zidane’s side now hold just a one-point lead over Barcelona at the top of Primera Liga with a game in hand.
At least Madrid have seen the return of Gareth Bale from injury. He scored off the bench in a 2-0 win over Espanyol last weekend. Bale also came off the bench in the Valencia loss.
His return is timely because, although Madrid have dropped just 10 points all season, backup players such as James Rodriguez have rarely convinced.
Zidane needs close to his first choice XI or Madrid aren’t the same side.
This weekend is shaping up to be probably the most important in the Spanish league season so far. Barcelona travel to Atletico Madrid, one of the toughest away trips in football, while Real visit a Villarreal side who have conceded just nine times at home all season.
Can Gabbiadini be the match winner against United?
The first major trophy of the English season will be decided on Sunday, when Southampton take on Manchester United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley.
United, on a 16-match unbeaten league run, will be big favourites but Southampton and manager Claude Puel have the nous to pull off the upset.
Puel out-thought Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp over two legs in the semi-final and he now has a weapon he didn’t have then — Manolo Gabbiadini.
The Italian striker is in the mould of the great Filippo Inzaghi and only needs half a chance to get a shot on target.
For all United’s great attacking players, they still have a soft spot at the back, especially if Chris Smalling starts at centre-back.
Gabbiadini has the speed of thought and movement to cause the England centre-back plenty of problems.
He could be the key man on Sunday.
Will Balotelli ever reach the top again?
Despite a fine start to his career at Nice, Mario Balotelli’s career has taken another plunge downhill in recent weeks.
The Italian striker scored seven goals in his first seven games for the French side, who have been surprise title challengers this season.
They are still well placed — level in third with PSG and three points behind Monaco — but look like they will have to do without Balotelli for the run-in.
He was sent off for the third time this season — for insulting the referee — in last week’s 1-0 win over Lorient. This after touching the ball just seven times in the first half.
He is losing the faith of his manager and teammates with midfielder Valentin Eysseric, saying Balotelli “looks like he wants nothing to do with us”.
Balotelli’s ability to self-combust is baffling, but how many teams are left in Europe’s best leagues who will take a chance on him?
Nice looked like the stage for his redemption, but his performances have only cemented his volatile reputation.
Will Mane turn Liverpool’s season around?
In the seven games that Sadio Mane missed while playing for Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, Liverpool won just once and that was in the FA Cup at fourth-tier Plymouth.
They drew against Chelsea when he returned as a substitute and lost at Hull before finally getting points on the board with a 2-0 home win over Tottenham last time out.
Mane was the star performer against Tottenham and it feels like he can get Liverpool back to their start-of-season form.
His combination of pace and close control was missed and manager Jurgen Klopp can now play his first-choice front six.
Mane, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.
It’s a formidable combination and Liverpool have a huge chance this weekend to move back into the top four with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United not playing because of the EFL Cup final.
They need to pick up form, too, because following Monday’s trip to Leicester, they face Arsenal, Everton and Manchester City over the next four games.
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