- France have won 9 of their last 10 games in all competitions, losing just once.
- Paraguay have been solid rather than spectacular, winning 5 of their last 10 (D1, L4).
- France are 1.22 favourites to beat Paraguay, who are priced at 6.9 with the draw at the same price.
Paraguay can make this a game
France are the clear favourites to win Saturday's game between Paraguay and Les Bleus, which takes place at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, but the 2026 World Cup knockout stage fixture could be a little cagey with the South Americans holding firm.
Paraguay overcame Turkey 1-0 away from home in their FIFA World Cup Group D game, before drawing 0-0 with Australia and then beating Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 16.
Gustavo Alfaro has them drilled into a compact, pragmatic low block that will be very difficult to play through or around and will look to frustrate France and then strike on the break.
Their standout player is Julio Enciso, who has one goal in one game in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage and can be a handful in transition.
France can make them pay
France, on the other hand, have a talisman called Kylian Mbappe, who has two goals in 1 match in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage and can be lethal whenever he gets a sniff of space.
The difference in this game should be Didier Deschamps' ability to mix patience in possession with brutal, lightning transitions behind the full-backs in a game where France have more quality to hurt opponents on the counter.
They followed a 4-1 away win over Norway in FIFA World Cup Group I with a 3-0 win over Sweden in the knockout stage, demonstrating France are in knockout gear.
France have won five games in a row and have no draws in their last five and while they should have the upper hand, Paraguay's structure and set-piece threat makes this game a sneaky one for the underdogs.
Over 2.5 goals at 1.57 is a clear play for this one as France can control the scoreboard and score in a variety of ways themselves.
