Deschamps pleased but France unable to find their top quality
DIDIER Deschamps’ France are guaranteed a place in the knockout stages of the World Cup after this victory over Peru — courtesy of Kylian Mbappe’s simple tap-in midway through the first half — but that is all that seems certain about a team that still flatters to deceive.
For the second successive Group C game, France took all three points despite a laboured display. Peru, meanwhile, became the fourth team to be eliminated.
After edging an evenly-contested first half, France completed the second without a single shot on target, looking some way off their status as one of the tournament favourites.
Deschamps said: “We are in the knockout stages so we are very satisfied. It was tougher in the second period. We played a better game in the first half — it was more fluid and flowing. However, we were solid after the break which helped us.
“The defending doesn’t just come from the defence — the attacking players helped the team be more compact. This aided with recovering the ball in the first half — less so in the second.”
Peru coach Ricardo Gareca reflected: “We thank the Peruvian fans for the great support.
“We left everything on the field against two very tough opponents. But this does not end here, we are going to close with the same attitude.”
This was a lively game, at times frantic. Olivier Giroud, returning to the side as an explicit focal point in attack, began well as Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe’s battering ram, but France’s link-up play was otherwise poor.
Though the early half-chances all fell to France, the first of any real quality was Peru’s and should have been converted by Paolo Guerrero.
Against slick and energetic opponents in need of a result, Les Bleus appeared to be taking too much for granted. Then, quite suddenly, came a moment of quick and fluid thinking that suggested these stifled talents could yet form a dynamic team.
It will go unnoticed by his critics, but the opening goal was of Paul Pogba’s making. It was the Manchester United midfielder’s strength and sense of anticipation that cut Peru’s latest attempt to play out of the back short and slipped in Giroud.
Giroud shot first time and a deflection off Alberto Rodriguez carried the ball over goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, yet it still needed a little help, just to make sure.
Mbappe only had to tap into an empty net to become his country’s youngest ever scorer at an international tournament.
France would have added a second before the interval if either Griezmann or Lucas Hernandez had connected with their respective attempts.
Five minutes into the second half, Pedro Aquino came within inches of levelling when he hit the bar. That was all they offered until the 88th minute when a Guerrero free-kick proved ineffective and that was that.