France player ratings vs Paraguay: Kylian Mbappe makes no mistake from the spot to draw level with Lionel Messi again - but les Bleus' stellar forward line fails to impress in laboured last-16 win
France secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty. Despite the win, the French team's performance was described as laboured and lacking in creative spark.
Why it matters
As tournament favorites, France's struggle to break down a defensive opponent raises questions about their form heading into the quarter-finals.
Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as France progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a laboured 1-0 win over an aggressive and cynical Paraguay side on Saturday evening. The South Americans, who upset Germany in the previous round, were always expected to make for awkward and uncompromising opponents for the tournament favourites but it was nonetheless surprising just how much Didier Deschamps' stellar forward line struggled to create chances in Philadelphia.
Standard sports reporting focusing on match events and player performance ratings.
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