France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday night in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Les Bleus struggled for much of the match against a defensive, cunning, and unambitious Paraguayan side before finally breaking through with a penalty won by Désiré Doué and converted by Kylian Mbappé in the 70th minute. Thanks to this victory, Didier Deschamps' team has qualified for the quarterfinals, where they will face Morocco.
A Paraguay locked tight
The match begins with a frustrating scenario: France has possession, Paraguay refuses to play. Les Bleus establish themselves in the opposition's half, but struggle to find space against a low, dense, aggressive block, which has come primarily to waste time and wait for the penalty shootout.
In the 2nd minute, Manu Koné tried his luck from distance. Alone 25 meters out, the French midfielder unleashed a left-footed shot. His powerful effort grazed Gill's left post and set the tone: France were pushing forward, but would have to rely on long-range efforts.
The Blues insist
In the 33rd minute, Adrien Rabiot took advantage of a feint by Michael Olise to seize the ball 25 meters out. He shot powerfully with his left foot, but the ball sailed over the Paraguayan goal.
At halftime, the score remained 0-0. France dominated, Paraguay were under pressure, but Les Bleus couldn't find the target. The match was tight, physical, and short on clear-cut chances.
Upon returning from the locker room, Koné put Gill back into action. In the 53rd minute, the player replacing Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield unleashed a powerful shot from 25 meters. The Paraguayan goalkeeper deflected it for a corner. France was closing the gap, but hadn't yet managed to break the deadlock.
Gifted, he provokes; Mbappé punishes.
The turning point came in the 67th minute. Désiré Doué was brought down in the box by Diego Gomez. The referee pointed to the penalty spot. Paraguayan protests changed nothing: France finally had their chance.
Kylian Mbappé steps up. In the 70th minute, the Real Madrid striker perfectly converts his penalty with a right-footed shot to the right. Gill dives the wrong way. France leads 1-0. Paraguay doesn't really come out of its shell after taking the lead. France manages its advantage, keeps possession, and prevents its opponent from getting back into the game, despite 10 minutes of added time.
Morocco awaits the French national team.
France will face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals. The match will be played on Thursday, July 9th at 22 PM French time.
