There is a certain weight that comes with being the tournament favourite. It is a burden that France, for all their sprezzatura and depth, have carrie...
There is a certain weight that comes with being the tournament favourite. It is a burden that France, for all their sprezzatura and depth, have carried with a surprising lightness so far. But the knockout stages are a different beast entirely. This evening in Kazan, Didier Deschamps' side face a Paraguay team that embodies the very chaos France have so expertly controlled. It is a clash of styles that promises to be anything but straightforward.Paraguay arrive at this last 16 tie having navigated a group that demanded relentless physicality and tactical discipline. They are a side that knows exactly what they are. They do not try to out pass the opponent or play pretty triangles in the middle third. Instead, they look to strangle the space, to sit in a compact low block and then break with venomous speed. Theirs is a game built on transitional play and set pieces, a formula that can unnerve even the most polished of outfits. The question, of course, is whether their defensive structure can hold against the sheer array of attacking talent France can throw at them. Because France are good. Like, really good. But can they handle a proper scrapFor all the talk of Kylian Mbappe's blistering pace and Antoine Griezmann's ghosting runs, the core of this French side is their own stoic resilience. They have not conceded from open play in this tournament. That is not an accident. Deschamps has built a machine that is as comfortable absorbing pressure as it is unleashing it. Yet Paraguay will test that resolve in a different way. They will crowd the box, they will leave a foot in, and they will delay every restart with a knowing cynicism. This is the kind of game where a team can bottl e their own talent if they lack the stomach for the ugly stuff.So where is the game to be won It will likely come from a moment of individual brilliance or a lapse in concentration from a tiring defence. France have the firepower to breach any line if they move the ball with speed and intelligence. But if they become laboured, if they let Paraguay settle into their rhythm of disruption, then we could be in for a long evening for the favourites. It is squeaky bum time from the very first whistle. There is no room for passengers now. This is the World Cup. This is where reputations are forged and shattered. The pitch in Kazan is waiting to tell its story.
