Paraguay 0 – 1 France

Kylian Mbappe’s 70th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 win over Paraguay in their World Cup last-16 tie in Philadelphia to advance to the quarter-finals with Morocco.

Mbappe calmly converted his kick despite the Paraguayan’s attempts to stop him as he finally broke the South American team’s resistance and drew level with Lionel Messi on seven World Cup goals.

Paraguay, victorious over Germany in the previous round, had until then stubbornly defended in the 39-degree heat, limiting France, the tournament’s outstanding team, to long-range shots and succeeding in slowing the game down.

It took the role of Desiree Du for Bradley Barkola for France to find a way through. Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially waved off his penalty appeal after tripping Diego Gomez but overturned the decision after a VAR check.

Paraguay’s players tried to delay the penalty and clear the spot but Mbappe held his nerve to find the bottom corner.

Paraguay’s frustration spilled over into the final stages with some reckless challenges, most of which went unpunished by the referee, who gave Paraguay no bookings despite France’s protests and a series of clashes between players that continued after the final whistle.

Mbappe, on target for Paraguay, was denied a second goal by Orlando Gil’s superb double save in stoppage time and later refused to shake the goalkeeper’s hand after Tantashev called time for a fiery contest – and a stunning performance of refereeing.

Highlights from Philadelphia

22: First shot! Manu Kone tried his luck from range after a slow start from France
31: Chance! Mbappe had a chance from Ousmane Dembele’s teasing cross but failed to connect with a header.
39: Mbappe grabs a hand to the face of Mathias Gallagher which goes unpunished as France create frustration.
55 Save! Cone’s dipping shot required an acrobatic save from Gill
67: Us! The referee pointed to the spot after checking the foul on Desiree Du on the pitch-side monitor
70: Goal! Mbappe scored despite Paraguay delaying and trying to mess up the penalty spot
77: Flashpoint! Juan Jose Caceres kicked out Mbappe but avoided a booking or red card
90+7: Saves! Mbappe was denied by Gil’s outstanding double save before tempers dissipated after the final whistle

Pictured: How moody

Deschamps: Paraguay uses every trick in the book

boss of france Didier Deschamps Said: “It wasn’t easy. If we had taken one of our chances late in the game, it would have been a much more comfortable finish.

“Paraguay used every trick in the book. It’s not necessarily the type of football that people enjoy watching, but we were focused and that’s not easy to do.

“They are a physical side and they defend very well. It’s another important step. It’s always difficult against South American teams, but I’m glad the players got the job done.

“We are in the quarter-finals and we have to enjoy that.”

Mbappe: We passed the test

captain of france Kylian Mbappé Said: “We knew what kind of match to expect. I think it was really good for us to experience a game like that and see how we handled it.

“We have shown that we are not just a team capable of playing attacking football. Every team plays to its own strengths – there is no right or wrong way to play.

“The only right way is to win. Now we have to focus on Morocco. We are really looking forward to facing them because we know they are a very good team.”

Paraguay avoided punishment

Paraguay did not receive a single card in a World Cup game for the first time since 1998 against Nigeria.
Paraguay completed just 54 percent of their passes (99/183), the lowest accuracy rate in a World Cup knockout match on record (since 1966).
It was the third World Cup knockout stage match (since 1966) to go without a shot on target in the first half, after Brazil vs. France in the quarter-finals in 2006 and Germany vs. Argentina in the 1990 final.

What next?

France will encounter morocco The World Cup quarter-finals, in a repeat of their 2022 semi, kick-off at 9pm (BST) in Boston on Thursday 9 July.

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