Kylian Mbappe penalty sends France into last eight with win over Paraguay
Press Association Sports Staff
Kylian Mbappe’s penalty booked France’s spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup as they edged a 1-0 win over Paraguay in a bad-tempered Philadelphia contest.
Les Bleus controlled the first half but struggled to break through the Paraguay defence in a last-16 contest played out in sweltering conditions, with temperatures hitting around 38C.
Mbappe broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, his seventh goal of the tournament moving him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings.
The France skipper’s spot-kick set up a last-eight clash with Morocco, who beat Canada earlier on Saturday.
Mbappe had an early attempt booted away by Omar Alderete and Michael Olise’s intended cross for Adrien Rabiot was cleared as France looked to strike in the opening minutes.
Les Bleus moved the ball well around the Paraguay box and dominated possession, but struggled to find the target against a side whose defending was both resolute and regularly cynical.
Manu Kone hit an effort wide and after the hydration break, Ousmane Dembele’s low cross almost caused problems when it took a deflection and trickled across the face of goal before being cleared.
Rabiot fired over the crossbar from distance while, at the opposite end, Mike Maignan made a comfortable save from a free-kick.
Mbappe headed wide from Dembele’s corner and Orlando Gill made a solid punch from Olise’s corner delivery as France continued to be frustrated.
After the break, Miguel Almiron’s corner was punched away by Maignan before France enjoyed a succession of chances.
Dembele fired into the side of goal from a quickly-taken corner and Gill made a great save to tip Kone’s strike over the bar.
France were awarded the penalty following a VAR check after Diego Gomez fouled Desire Doue, who had whizzed into the box.
Mbappe stepped up to the spot and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to send France ahead in the 70th minute.
Paraguay sent a free-kick into the area in an attempt to find an equaliser, but Maignan collected easily and Junior Alonso skewed an effort wide of the upright.
Mbappe looked to wrap up the game in the final 10 minutes as he forced Gill to push away a powerful shot before Maignan made a low stop from Mauricio at the other end.
Gill made a brilliant double save to deny Mbappe in stoppage-time as France secured their place in the quarter-finals.
France coach Didier Deschamps said: “It wasn’t easy. If we’d taken one of our chances late in the game, it would have been a much more comfortable finish.
“Paraguay use every trick in the book. It’s not necessarily the kind of football people enjoy watching, but we stayed focused and that’s not easy to do.”
