the world's best goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon in
the semi-finals of the Champions League as
Monaco prepare to host Juventus in Wednesday's
first leg.
Despite the 21-year age gap between the pair, both
are seeking to win the competition for the first time
in their careers, with Buffon a runner-up with Juve
in 2002-03 and 2014-15.
Mbappe heads into the semi-final in blistering form
- the 18-year-old has scored five goals in his last
five appearances, including a brace against
Borussia Dortmund in the previous round - and the
teenager is keen to test himself against the
experienced Buffon.
"He is a goalkeeper who has made his mark on
history, one of the best in the world," Mbappe told
the UEFA website. "I'm glad I'll play against him.
"You work every day to play against players like
him. When you do, you want to give your best to
beat them.
"Juventus are a great club. Everybody knows their
history, the great players who played there, the
great players who still play there. They're a great
team, and they eliminated Barcelona, who were
also among the favourites.
"They showed they have what it takes to win the
competition. But we also have qualities and we'll
do everything we can to get to the final."
Mbappe's 14 Ligue 1 goals look set to fire Monaco
to their first title since 2000 and the striker hailed
coach Leonardo Jardim for giving him a free role
alongside Radamel Falcao in attack.
"I think I'm the luckiest player in our squad
because I'm at the start of my career and get to
play alongside a top striker like Radamel," added
Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year nominee Mbappe.
"He's made his mark on the history of the game
and scored a huge number of goals. We play a
4-4-2 with two attackers - and [Jardim] plays
Radamel, who is a striker, whereas I am more of a
winger up front.
"I like to move around more on the pitch, and the
coach gives me the freedom to do that. I am free to
go right, left or in the centre. It's something I really
like so I thank the coach for that.
"In this team there are plenty of quality players and
we all make an effort for one another - that's why
we have many different scorers.
"We really want to win something together and to
do that, we cannot just rely on individuals, we must
do it together. It's the best way when you want to
win trophies. We are all competitors, and
competitors want to win."
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