NEWS
Mbappe Secures Narrow Victory for France Against Paraguay
A penalty from the French superstar decides the match in favor of the "Equipe Tricolore".
France advances to a World Cup quarter-final for the fourth time in a row.
The 2022 World Cup runners-up prevailed 1-0 against surprise team Paraguay after a closely contested match.
Paraguay Keeps France in Check
The match started as expected. Paraguay sat deep, and France's potent offense constantly looked for openings. However, the French struggled.
The first real chance of the match was a long-range shot from Manu Kone shortly before the first hydration break.
Even after that, the South Americans managed to keep the 2018 World Champions out of the penalty area. The French became visibly frustrated early on, leading to the first scuffle of the match in the first half.
Dembele and Mbappe Miss Opportunities to Take the Lead
Shortly after, Dembele had a dangerous chance. His long-range shot was dangerously deflected and just missed the goal.
At the start of the second half, Kylian Mbappe became dangerous for the first time. After a Paraguayan corner kick, Mike Maignan punched the ball long to the French superstar. Mbappe appeared to be through on goal but had trouble controlling the ball and was just barely thwarted at the last moment.
Doue Earns a Penalty
Paraguay then continued where they left off in the first half. With two deep blocks and a lot of fighting spirit, they kept the French away from the dangerous zones.
In the 66th minute, substitute Desire Doue embarked on a dribble. After leaving five players in his wake, he was brought down. Following a brief VAR check, the referee then awarded a rightful penalty.
Mbappe stepped up and confidently converted, sending the ball into the bottom right corner. With his seventh goal of this World Cup, he secured the deserved lead for the "Equipe Tricolore".
Paraguay Could No Longer Pose a Threat
After that, the Paraguayans showed fighting spirit again and repeatedly committed fouls. However, little offensive danger emerged.
In stoppage time, the French still had a huge double chance through Mbappe, but he was thwarted by strong Paraguay keeper Gill.
For France, the journey continues on Thursday in a quarter-final clash against Morocco. For Paraguay, however, the tournament is over.
