N’Golo Kante now a serious Ballon d’Or contender after helping Chelsea win the Champions League

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N’Golo Kante produced yet another Man of the Match performance on the big occasion to help Chelsea win their second Champions League trophy.

The Frenchman played a pivotal role in the centre of midfield as a Kai Havertz goal gave the Blues victory over Manchester City in the Champions League final.

Kante won the Man of the Match award for a third consecutive match in the competition and was instrumental in snuffing out any sort of danger in the final third for his team.

City were held to just one shot on target in the entire match and that was largely down to the dogged defensive performance from the French midfielder.

In a match where Pep Guardiola opted to start without a recognised holding midfielder, Kante proved that the position is still crucial in modern football.

The 30-year-old produced a stunning slide tackle on Kevin De Bruyne early in the second-half before stealing the ball from Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez on two separate occasions as the Citizens looked to find a way through the immovable Chelsea wall.

Since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, the Frenchman has been redeployed in the role that famously won Leicester City the title in 2016. The midfielder operates at his best when partnered with another defensive midfielder who prefers to sit in front of the defenders, which allows him to utilise his extraordinary stamina and chase down every loose ball and touch.

Kante has now won the biggest trophy in domestic and international football, and should France go all the way in the Euro 2020 competition, the Frenchman will have a serious case for winning the Ballon d’Or.

Luka Modric was the last central midfielder to win the award, guiding Real Madrid to European glory before helping his country to the final of the World Cup.

So, Kante cannot be far from the honour and the 30-year-old has stepped up on the biggest of occasions. The Frenchman won the Man of the Match award in four of the seven knockout matches of the Champions League this season.

He was the standout performer in the second-leg against Atletico Madrid before dominating one of the best midfield trios in the history of the sport when facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

Injuries have led to critics saying the Frenchman is beyond his best form but Kante has pushed onto another level yet again and his attacking play is ever-improving. On many occasions, the 30-year-old wins the ball back and drives at the heart of the opposition and he did just that in both goals Chelsea scored against Los Blancos in the second-leg.

The 30-year-old contributed heavily to a defensive masterclass for Chelsea which saw them trail for a total of just five minutes through the entirety of the tournament.

France will be hoping the injuries stay away ahead of the upcoming Euros and should they be victorious the whispers for one of the most adored players in the world to win the Ballon d’Or will begin to get even louder.

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