Olise and Upamecano help France edge controversial Paraguay to reach World Cup quarter-finals
| France vs. Paraguay. | Photo: Dan Mullan / Getty Images. |
Paraguay stunned the footballing world by knocking out Germany last Monday, but their impressive World Cup run came to an end as France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the Round of 16.
Bayern Munich duo Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano both featured for Didier Deschamps' side in a tense and ill-tempered contest that was decided by a single goal.
The breakthrough arrived in the 70th minute when France captain Kylian Mbappé calmly converted from the penalty spot to send Les Bleus into the quarter-finals. However, the decisive moment was surrounded by controversy.
Paraguay's combative approach frustrated the French throughout the match, with frequent tactical fouls, provocative behaviour and repeated attempts to disrupt the flow of the game.
The penalty incident summed up the atmosphere perfectly. As Mbappé prepared to take his spot-kick, several Paraguay players attempted to scuff up the penalty spot and damage the surrounding turf, despite France's players trying to protect the area. The scenes sparked further confrontations between the two teams.
The tension remained high throughout the game, with several heated exchanges and near-altercations breaking out on the pitch, making for a scrappy contest that was short on flowing football.
Crazily enough, not one player from Paraguay received a yellow card during the game - as a neutral fan, this writer is stunned with that fact!
At the other end, Upamecano delivered another assured defensive display, helping France keep a clean sheet under constant pressure. Olise also put in a disciplined performance, although the Bayern winger was unable to produce the moments of brilliance that had highlighted his earlier displays at the tournament.
France's reward is a quarter-final clash with Morocco on July 9th, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals now at stake.
