Deschamps admits the Paraguay scare will serve as a lesson for France
A hard-fought win over Paraguay left its mark on France. Deschamps acknowledges the learning curve — and Doué could start against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
France are in the World Cup quarter-finals — but they didn't get there unscathed.
The 1–0 win over Paraguay was the two-time champions' most nerve-wracking game of the tournament so far. After a comfortable group stage and a dominant victory over Sweden, Deschamps and his players ran into a side that had no interest in playing pretty football: relentless pressing, constant provocation, and on-pitch confrontations that cranked up the tension.
"It will serve as experience. Many players are playing in their first World Cup," Deschamps said, according to ge. The manager acknowledged that the team had made other matches look easier through the way they played — but that this one was different, including in terms of the refereeing.
Doué was the man who responded on the pitch. He came off the bench, won the penalty converted by Mbappé, and sent a message of his own: "There was a lot of provocation, a lot of rough play, but we have to ignore all of it. It will help us in the next games."
So what's next? The forward could earn a starting spot against Morocco in the quarter-finals. Deschamps has been rotating Doué and Barcola throughout the tournament — the former started against Senegal and Norway, while the latter was in the XI for the other three matches. The stylistic difference is real: Barcola works best with space in behind the defence; Doué brings dribbling and creativity. Against an organised Morocco side, the latter's profile could prove more useful.
The manager hasn't made any decisions yet — he opted for a light session on Sunday, mindful of the physical toll of the heat in Philadelphia. France will have three days of preparation before Thursday's quarter-final against Morocco in Boston.
Golmetria's model gives France a 14% chance of lifting the trophy — more than double Morocco's 1.26%. But who would have bet that Paraguay would come so close to knocking out the two-time champions?
Deschamps was full of praise for the Moroccans: "You don't reach the quarter-finals by luck," he said, according to ge. France have been warned.