Olivier Giroud scored an impressive hat-trick against Paraguay – Credit: LeFoot
Olivier Giroud netted a hat-trick, and both Moussa Sissoko and Antoine Griezmann both found the back of the net during the second half as France had a dominant performance to defeat Paraguay by an expressive 5-0 result. Les Bleus dominated the game from start to finish, and there was never a doubt regarding their win.
Impressive start from the home side
As soon as the ball started rolling, it was clear France was going to dominate the game rather easily. Paraguay had several important players out, and their manager, Francisco Arce, opted to use a negative, counter-attacking stance. This strategy allowed France to install themselves quickly on the final third, and they would take advantage of every chance created.
The hosts struck first in the sixth minute, when a lightning-quick run on the wing from Ousmane Dembele allowed Giroud to score. The Dortmund winger got inside the box, and his low cross found the Arsenal striker who simply tapped the ball into the open goal. Antoine Griezmann came close to add a second goal in the ninth minute, but Antony Silva responded with an impressive save.
Paraguay attempted to move forward on the counter, but they were not accurate in the final meters. France, on other hand, continued to generate chances and Giroud doubled his tally in the 15th minute when he nodded the ball home following a cross from Dimitri Payet.
France slowed things down after the second goal, but they still managed to control the possession. Paraguay lacked ideas on the attack, and they were looking overmatched on the defensive end. The first half ended with a comfortable 2-0 lead for the hosts, but it was clear we would see more goals in the second half.
France continue to dominate after the break
Didier Deschamps’ men continue to dominate the game in the second half. Both sides made several substitutions during half time, so the start of the game was a bit sluggish. But once Les Bleus started to adjust, they quickly increased their advantage on the score. The third goal came on a quick counter-attack that saw Lucas Digne – who replaced Benjamin Mendy during the second half – cross the ball into the box for Giroud to complete his hat-trick.
One would have thought the final minutes would not have a lot of action, but it was not the case. Moussa Sissoko added the fourth goal on a sequence where the midfielder appeared to be offside, and a few minutes later, Griezmann netted a fifth goal following a big defensive mistake. The Atletico Madrid forward smashed the ball into the open goal from very close range.
With a 5-0 lead and Paraguay looking defeated, France finally slowed things down in the final 10 minutes. But the game was over several minutes ago, because the home side was extremely superior and while the final score might have been a bit exaggerated, there is no question Les Bleus deserved the win.
Final thoughts
If France are going to play with this level of intensity, they will be a very tough side to defeat. Even though the opposition was clearly inferior, they looked impressive defensively and did not have problems to build the game with Samuel Umtiti and Laurent Koscielny playing near the halfway line. And their attack was incredibly dangerous because the pace, skill and talent of players such as Paul Pogba, Griezmann and Dembele was a nightmare for the opposing defenders.
On the other hand, Paraguay showed they have a lot of work to do. Even though several regulars were not in the squad, the difference between them and the French side was abysmal. Los Guaranies must improve a lot – and quickly – because they will not qualify for the World Cup next year playing like this.
Match Report
France: Hugo Lloris; Djibril Sidibe, Samuel Umtiti, Laurent Koscielny, Benjamin Mendy (Lucas Digne 67′); Blaise Matuidi, Dimitri Payet (Thomas Lemar 46′), Paul Pogba (N’Golo Kante 46′); Antoine Griezmann (Florian Thauvin 80′), Olivier Giroud (Alexandre Lacazette 73′), Ousmane Dembele (Moussa Sissoko 46′)
Paraguay: Antony Silva; Bruno Valdez, Gustavo Gomez, Juan Patino (Miguel Samudio 46′), Junior Alonso; Juan Aguilar, Victor Ayala (Christian Paredes 63′); Oscar Romero (Richard Franco 77′), Juan Iturbe (Ivan Ramirez 46′), Edgar Benitez (Sergio Diaz 46′); Federico Santander (Jorge Benitez 58′)
Goals: Olivier Giroud (1-0, 6′); Olivier Giroud (2-0, 13′); Olivier Giroud (3-0, 69′); Moussa Sissoko (4-0, 76′); Antoine Griezmann (5-0, 77′)
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