France secured their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after edging past Paraguay 1-0 in a tense Round of 16 encounter in Philadelphia.
A composed penalty from Kylian Mbappe after the interval proved enough to send the two-time champions through and keep their title ambitions alive.
Paraguay, buoyed by their dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph over Germany in the previous round, produced a disciplined defensive performance that made life difficult for France.
Despite enjoying the majority of possession, Les Bleus found few openings as Paraguay defended compactly and prevented any meaningful opportunities before half-time.
The contest also became increasingly physical, forcing France to battle through a series of robust challenges while searching for a breakthrough.
France returned after the break with greater attacking intent and gradually began to stretch Paraguay’s defence.
Ousmane Dembele came close with an effort into the side netting before Orlando Gill reacted brilliantly to keep out Manu Kone’s powerful strike from distance.
The decisive moment arrived in the 69th minute when VAR awarded France a penalty after Desire Doué was fouled inside the area.
Mbappe stepped up confidently and converted the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to register his seventh goal of the tournament.
The goal also saw the French captain match Lionel Messi’s tally in the race for the Golden Boot while extending his remarkable record of scoring in the knockout stages of three successive World Cups.
France manager Didier Deschamps commended his side for remaining patient against Paraguay’s stubborn resistance and physical approach throughout the match.
The victory sends the 1998 and 2018 champions into a quarter-final meeting with Morocco on July 9 after the North African side eliminated co-hosts Canada to continue their impressive World Cup campaign.
Also Read: Morocco Sweeps Aside Co-Hosts Canada To Secure FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final Spot
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