FIFA World Cup: How teams have attempted to beat France and failed

ALSO READ | Shoddy in the first half, divine in the second: Mbappe’s comeback

Sweden crumble easily

Perhaps the easiest game the French have had at this World Cup came from the Swedes, who were left in awe of the devastating nature of France’s attack. The number that defined their lack of any game plan to counter the French top 4 – 202 ball receptions in the final third of the Swedish half. Sweden gave up on keeping the ball, they gave up on defending it when it reached their quarter of the pitch. And eventually they gave up three unanswered goals. France unleashed their most potent game of this World Cup campaign and were met with virtually no resistance.

ALSO READ | The science and art of France’s beautiful game against Sweden

Kylian Mbappe scored the opening goal against Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom during the World Cup round of 32 match. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Paraguay’s physicality  

Paraguay only kept 22% possession. They had no shots on target; made under 200 passes in 90 minutes of football. But they are the one team that French truly struggled to score against and failed to put up an open-play goal against. Most of it was down to rigid lines of midfield and defence that didn’t allow the French midfield to operate with the room they prefer. They were the first team at this World Cup to shut Olise down and deny the attacking midfielder the space to roam. What Paraguay did to add to their block was to rough the French up. In true South American ways, the Paraguyans nipped at Mbappe and Olise, constantly whipping together small fouls and never letting their attack gain any momentum. Playing on an equal footing was never an option, and so the South Americans tried their best to take the game into extra time and kept a dogged blockade that led to only five shots on target against them and it was a Mbappe penalty that finally broke their backs. A tough watch, but possibly the best response to the searing attacking quartet of the French.

ALSO READ | High-flying France show they can be fashionably ugly too

Mbappe grimaces in pain during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Paraguay. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Morocco’s runners

Morocco’s industrious running was supposed to make this clash as the match of the quarterfinals. Instead, the French never had to worry. The Moroccans had to make key changes to their personnel that forced them to not play to their optimum. They missed out on a true offensive threat and Brahim Diaz alone was not enough to ask questions of the French. With those limitations, the Moroccans passed more than the French and kept the ball more than their opponents.

ALSO READ | Like Messi, Mbappe misses from the spot, but still sinks Morocco

They had their midfield block set up to play perfectly behind Olise but after Mbappe created a goal out of thin air, the wind was knocked out of their sails. The discipline they had shown in keeping Olise quiet, faded and the French found their second quickly through Ousmane Dembele. Offensively, Morocco had nothing going for them, hitting only one solitary shot on target. Ultimately it was what came in between what could have been a far closer tie.