By Danjuma Amodu
Kylian Mbappe’s ice-cold penalty was the difference as France edged past a resilient Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday to advance to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
The 2022 runners-up were forced to dig deep at a packed stadium, where Paraguay’s disciplined defensive block frustrated Les Bleus for more than an hour and threatened a major upset in the Round of 16.
Didier Deschamps’ side struggled for rhythm in the first half, with Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele finding little space against a compact backline. The game opened up after the break as Michael Olise and Désiré Doué injected pace down the flanks.
The decisive moment came in the 68th minute. VAR spotted a foul on Doué inside the box and referee Ilgiz Tantashev pointed to the spot. Two minutes later Mbappe sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way, firing low into the bottom-right corner for his third goal of the tournament.
Paraguay responded with courage. Miguel Almirón pulled the strings in midfield before giving way to Gabriel Ávalos, and late substitute Mauricio forced a sharp save from Mike Maignan in the 88th minute.
Gill was outstanding at the other end, denying Mbappe, Manu Koné and Doué with a series of reaction saves to keep Paraguay in the contest. Ten minutes of added time brought a final Paraguayan push, but France’s defence, marshalled by William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, held firm.
France now march on in their bid for a third World Cup title. For Paraguay, the exit will sting, but their organised performance against one of the favourites will earn respect.
