World Cup Match Review - France vs Peru: Allez Les Blues, Adieu Peru

France put up a decent performance as they saw off Peru 1-0, leaving Peruvians in tears after their first appearance in the World Cup after over 25 years.

What was enjoyable to watch in this game was the amount of effort poured in by Peru, who are undeniably one of the underdogs of the tournament, against an extremely talented French side, who boasted the likes of Paul Pogba, Samuel Umtiti, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and not forgetting, Olivier Giroud.

The first half may have been end-to-end, but has been marred by a number of stoppages, which killed the flow of the moment for both sides. This has been happening in a number of games in this edition of the World Cup, and as a viewer, or a team, that can be very frustrating. However, we saw both teams dish out their talents, albeit one more than the other, making it a very equal half, apart from the moment the goal went in.

Credit had to be given to France, however, with an extra edge in creativity introduced in this game, as compared to the game they had against Australia. Passes flowed smoothly, and there were slightly more clear chances than before. Personally, the cushioned pass by Giroud to Griezmann was a glimpse into what this French side could do. Of course, the lead up to Mbappe’s goal would top that any day.

The tap in from the Frenchman makes him the youngest player to ever score for France, at 19 years and 180 days. The previous record was set by David Trezeguet in 1998 against Saudi Arabia, just a few months before Mbappe was born.

The second half saw a very different Peru side, braver in attack rather than absorbing the shots and going for a counter after. Credit had to be given to Pedro Aquino in the 2nd half, whose venomous shot smacked the crossbar over Lloris, who could only afford to watch it go past him. Other plaudits in the Peruvian side included captain Paulo Guerrero, and Luis Advincula, one of the world’s fastest fullbacks.

Didier Deschamps had clearly done his homework and reviews from their game against Australia, and this was put to test in this game against Peru. There may be some dents that need to be buffed up, but things seem to be picking up for the men in blue, and their last game against Denmark will see them cement their spot at the top of their group, barring Denmark’s tricks up their sleeves.

Fans will definitely miss Peru’s valiant efforts in their games, especially if they have sentiments for underdogs. Alas, they could not finish in the final third for both their games, and will have to exit the competition, at least, with their heads held high.

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