France had to squeeze a way through Paraguay to qualify for the quarterfinals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Paraguay in the World Cup encounter at Philadelphia Stadium on Sunday morning.
Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty was the only difference as the two sides tussled out in the game of high emotions.
France dominated possession for the biggest part of the game but were not sharp enough to convert their chances into goals.
In the 36th minute, both sets of players clashed in frustration after Andreas Cuba fouled on-form forward Mbappe.
However, France found their first shot on target in the 54th minute as Manu Kone forced goalkeeper Orlando Grill in a big save.
On top of the hour, Desire Doue replaced Bradley Barcola to introduce fresh legs into France’s midfield.
Nine minutes later, he was tripped by Diego Gomez in the area and the referee awarded France a penalty after a VAR intervention.
Mbappe stepped to the occasion and set the goalkeeper Grill the wrong way to ensure France gets a slot in the last eight.
In the quarterfinals, France will take on Morocco in a highly anticipated clash.
