France vs Peru: Giroud is the key for France, Peru are fun but vulnerable and where are all the goals?
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Your support makes all the difference.Kylian Mbappe’s first goal at a major international tournament was enough for France to edge to a 1-0 win over a spirited Peru in Ekaterinburg.
The 19-year-old followed up Olivier Giroud’s deflected shot to tap into an empty net from close range and become France’s youngest-ever scorer at a World Cup or European Championship.
Peru pushed forward in search of an equaliser but created few clear chances, ultimately succumbing to a defeat that eliminates them from the World Cup.
Here are five things we learned from the match:
1. Giroud is the straw that stirs France's drink
It was no coincidence that France’s winning goal against Australia on Saturday arrived – albeit in fortuitous fashion – after Giroud entered the field in the 70th minute.
Nor was it any surprise to see Didier Deschamps go with the Chelsea target man from the start against Peru. Every winning team needs selfless players prepared to do the little things and provide the foundation for the elite talents around them to shine and, flanked by Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, Giroud did exactly that.
Griezmann’s best chance of the first half came from a Giroud knockdown. Mbappe’s first tournament goal for France will probably remain his easiest, a one-yard tap-in after Giroud had smartly moved onto Paul Pogba’s pass and seen his shot deflected over Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and into his teammate’s path.
France’s attack lives up to its frightening talent when silky skills are allied to a structure that makes sense, and Giroud is the key to that balance.
2. Peru are the most fun team at this World Cup…
Don’t let their results or points tally fool you: Ricardo Gareca’s team have been every bit as entertaining as the 40,000 screaming fans they brought with them to Russia.
Denmark were fortunate to beat Peru, and it’s particularly agonising to wonder how differently that game might have ended had Christian Cueva not Chris Waddled his penalty over the bar.
They approached France with the same fearless attitude, pressing high and passing with ambition. Within six minutes Yoshimar Yotun tried to beat Hugo Lloris from the halfway line.
Cueva was a lively presence, Andre Carrillo was full of tricks and flicks and Pedro Aquino was inches away from scoring the goal of the tournament with a swerving 25-yard shot that clipped the outside of the post with Lloris rooted.
Peru will leave this World Cup at the group stage, but they have created more good moments than teams who will go much further.
3. … But their style is their downfall
Bravery is not without its risks, and Peru have found to their cost in this World Cup that their margin for error is razor-thin.
Denmark’s winning goal on Saturday came from an incisive counter-attack against over-committed opponents, and France’s breakthrough in Ekaterinburg was the result of Pogba winning possession just outside Peru’s penalty area and playing in Giroud.
It’s a pity that several defensive-minded teams have enjoyed more fortune than Peru in Russia, but the lesson is that whatever style you choose to play, you have to execute it well.
Peru are fun in part because they are playing a little over their heads.
4. Defence is still France’s greatest strength
For all of Peru’s bright moments, Lloris only had to make one save in the match when Paolo Guerrero managed to escape the attentions of Raphael Varane.
Their back four looks rock solid – perhaps even too cautious, given that Djibril Sidibe would be a more progressive choice on the right than Benjamin Pavard – and, in N’Golo Kante, enjoys the luxury of being protected by the premier midfield destroyer in world football.
France will undoubtedly face more dangerous opponents than Australia and Peru in this competition, but it is difficult to imagine them being repeatedly carved open by anyone.
5. Goals continue to be in short supply
This was the ninth match at this World Cup to end 1-0. For context, there were only eight games to finish with that scoreline in the whole of the 2014 tournament’s group stage.
The fact that we are yet to see a goalless game in Russia has helped obscure the fact that this has largely been a tournament of very low-scoring contests.
Add that to the absurdly high number of spot kicks (12) and own goals (five) that we’ve seen so far, and it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that there have been very few memorable moments of quality. At this rate, broadcasters’ closing montages of this tournament will look like an absurdly long penalty shootout, interspersed with a football-themed blooper reel.
These are still relatively early days though, so there’s plenty of cause for hope that the proper football will begin sooner rather than later.
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