- France have been ruthless, winning 9 of their last 10 matches, losing just once.
- Paraguay have been sturdier than flashy, winning 5 of their last 10, drawing 1 and losing 4.
France to hold off Paraguay
In this Paraguay vs France preview, France are in blazing form, winning 5 straight matches without a draw and we think Didier Deschamps' side will be too strong for Paraguay in a cagey match at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday.
France are the clear favorites at 1.22, with Paraguay priced at 6.9 and a draw at 6.9 - which doesn't seem right to us considering that our Paraguay vs France prediction is that France should be good enough to win this contest.
Paraguay have been a pretty good team to watch in this tournament, coming out on top 1-0 away to Turkey in Group D, holding Australia to a 0-0 tie and then pushing Germany to penalties after a 1-1 knockout stage draw. Gustavo Alfaro has done a great job to drill Paraguay into a compact, pragmatic low block that can also be dangerous on the break.
French fluidity can unlock Paraguay
Les Bleus followed up their 4-1 away win over Norway in FIFA World Cup Group I by beating Sweden 3-0 in the knockout stage, demonstrating their ability to get into gear and put teams away.
Deschamps has allowed his team to be patient in possession, but ruthless in transition, able to play in midfield but also to go at a high pace behind the full backs when they are pushed forward. This should be a good matchup for France as they have an embarrassment of riches in attack, and for Paraguay vs France betting tips, the focus is on France's attacking quality.
Paraguay's main threat is Julio Enciso, who has 1 goal in 1 match in the FIFA World Cup, but he brings bite in transition. France's talisman is Kylian Mbappe, who has 2 goals in 1 match in the FIFA World Cup, but they are just the tip of an iceberg of talent that is ruthless on the counter.
Paraguay can keep it tight
The value for us lies in the Over 2.5 goals market at 1.57, and our Paraguay vs France prediction is for France to edge a game that could open up late.
The draw is still a possibility in this one as Paraguay like to slow the game down and are a stubborn team, which could lead to a dogged match in Philadelphia. But France should have the quality to pull this out late or on the fast break, which is why we'll take the French team to win in the end.
