Not every World Cup win is going to be entertaining, and France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay is a perfect example of that. If you were expecting free-flowing football and plenty of goals, this was not the match for you. Instead, it was a tense, physical contest where patience mattered just as much as quality.
I actually enjoyed it for that reason.
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Paraguay came into the game with a very clear plan. They were not interested in matching France going forward. Their priority was to stay compact, defend as a unit, and make life as difficult as possible for Mbappe and the rest of the French attack. For long periods, it worked. France had the ball, but creating clear chances was another story entirely.
It felt like one of those games where a single mistake would decide everything.
I think Didier Deschamps deserves some credit for changing things when he did. Bringing on Desire Doue gave France a bit more energy in the final third. His willingness to run at defenders eventually forced the challenge that led to the penalty after the VAR review. Sometimes that's all you need in knockout football, a player who's brave enough to make something happen.
When Mbappe stepped up to take the penalty, there was plenty of drama. The Paraguayan players tried every trick they could think of to delay the kick and break his concentration, but he never looked rattled. He calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and finally gave France the breakthrough they had been searching for.
One thing that stood out to me was how much attention Mbappe received throughout the game. He was constantly being challenged, pulled around, and frustrated by Paraguay's defenders. Some of those tackles looked worthy of bookings, yet the referee kept his cards in his pocket. It was one of those officiating performances that left both fans and players scratching their heads.
That said, Paraguay deserve plenty of respect. They defended with incredible discipline and never made things easy for one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Their goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, was excellent and even denied Mbappe a second goal with two brilliant saves late in the match. Without him, the scoreline could have looked very different.
Now all eyes turn to the quarter-final against Morocco. That won't be an easy assignment either. Morocco have already shown they can compete with the biggest teams, and France will need to play with much more creativity if they want to reach the semi-finals.
This was not France at their best, but knockout football is not always about playing beautifully. Sometimes it's about staying patient, finding one decisive moment, and doing enough to move on. France did exactly that, and in tournaments like this, those are often the victories that matter the most.
Posted Using INLEO