 "Peru national team")
France will be keen to book an early place in the pre-quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup when they meet Peru, who are staring down the barrel of an early exit, in a Group C clash here on Thursday.
Full-time analysis:
France are through to the round of 16 and Peru head home after playing one more game against Australia. This, despite the fact that Peru played fantastic football in both their matches, which they lost, up until reaching the final third. France, on the other hand, weren't at their best during their group C clash at the Ekaterinburg Arena but go home with all three points, courtesy teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe's first World Cup goal.
Peru started out strong and fast. Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, they started with an attacking intent in order to get that goal which could potentially save them. But their attack fizzled out as time rolled on and the Les Blues found themselves getting more comfortable in the game. In the 34th minute, Mbappe converted from a close range to give France the lead in a match played out evenly by both the sides.
Peru looked dangerous in the first half as they managed to threaten the French defence with repeated counter-attacks but failed to convert any, thanks to the strong defence led by Samuel Umtiti. The French side controlled only 48% of the ball possession but a small mistake in the midfield saw Pogba pounce on the opportunity and pass the ball to Giroud who directed the ball to Mbappe who then slid in and took a shot. The shot took a deflection and looped inside the net.
By the end of the first half, the French had taken nine shots, four of them being on-target. Peru, on the other hand, managed to take only one shot on target despite seeing more of the ball. The Latin American team obviously were lacking quality in the final third.
Peru came out stronger in the second half. Pedro Aquino was unlucky to hit the post in the 49th minute when the midfielder collected the ball outside the box and sent a curling effort that bounced off the post and out. The game oscillated between the two sides for the next 10 minutes. After the 60th minute, with their World Cup exit looking surer than ever, Peru committed their men forward and took multiple shots. In the next 13 minutes, Carrillo and Advincula had taken 3-4 shots, all of them sailing over the cross-bar. They tried to turn it on, and they did play some good football in the middle of the park but the lack of quality in the final third showed and became the cause of their premature exit from the tournament.
Despite their win and having advanced to the next round, France are yet to find their best form and they know that they would need to find it sooner than later when they will find more formidable opponents. Peru, like Morocco, have been somewhat unlucky, given the fact that both the teams played good and attacking football but both teams are out of the World Cup in Russia due to a blunt attack.
Live updates:
Second half begins.
Half-time report: France are leading 1-0 at half-time in their group C clash against Peru, who are staring down the barrel of an early exit. Peru started out strong and fast. Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, they started with an attacking intent in order to get that goal which could potentially save them. But their attack fizzled out as time rolled on and the Les Blues found themselves getting more comfortable in the game. In the 34th minute, teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe converted from a close range to give France the lead in a match played out evenly by both the sides.
Peru looked dangerous in the first half as they managed to threaten the French defence with repeated counter-attacks but failed to convert any, thanks to the strong defence led by by Samuel Umtiti. The French side controlled only 48% of the ball possession but a small mistake in the midfield saw Pogba pounce on the opportunity and pass the ball to Giroud who directed the ball to Mbappe. The French teenage sensation then slid in and took a shot. The shot took a deflection and looped inside the net.
The French players have taken 9 shots and managed to convert only 1 while 4 shots were on-target and the rest off-target. Peru, on the other hand, managed to take only 1 shot on target despite controlling more ball possession. The Latin American team lack a leader as their movement vanishes off in the final third. With another half to be played, the Peruvians will need to control their nerves if they want to have a positive result against the European heavyweights.
Live updates:
Minute 93 -- Peru get a free-kick near halfway. The Peruvian players get forward but the ball is put out of the play. Giroud takes one more shot before the refree blows whistle for full-time. It's France 1 Peru 0.
Minute 91 -- France get a corner, take it shot with Fekir looking to shield it. After another corner, Matuidi takes a shot that is some distance off the goalpost. The Peruvian manager is urging his players to get forward.
Minute 88 -- Pogba, who has got himself a yellow card, is replaced by Nzonzi.
Minute 85 -- Yellow card for Paul Pogba and he is dismayed. The Frenchman and Farfan went for the ball but Pogba left a dangling hand that hit Farfan on his face. Paulo Guerrero takes a lame free-kick which Lloris deals with comfortably.
Minute 83 -- Carrillo earns his team a corner but nothing comes out of it.
Minute 80 -- Pedro Aquinho is booked for a foul on Fekir.
Minute 79 -- Griezmann makes way for Nabil Fekir.
Minute 73 -- Carrillo does very well to escape down the right wing but his cross is a bit-off target and while Farfan tries to control and find the net from a difficult angle, he can only find the side-netting.
Minute 73 -- Substitution: Ousmane Dembele in for Mbappe.
Minute 68 -- Another Peruvian effort. Advincula takes a speculative shot from outside the box on the right but it flies over the crossbar, again.
Minute 60 -- Peru have turned it on in the last few minutes. After some good inter-linking near the France box before Carrillo lets one fly from 25-yeards, but it flies over the bar, Uff!
Minute 58 -- Peru are trying to see more of the ball now and have been successful for a past couple minutes but they are being thwarted by the French defence before they can test Lloris.
Minute 55 -- France have camped inside the Peru half for over five minutes now. In the latest action, Pogba earns a corner. Mbappe takes it, but the corner is headed clear.
Minute 52 -- France get a free-kick on the left of the Peruvian box. Griezmann stands over it with plenty of blue shits inside the box. The delivery is poor and Gallese collects the ball before sending out an even poorer clearance.
Minute 49 -- Peru hit the post. Pedro Aquino nearly pulls off a screamer. The midfielder gets the ball outside the box and sends a curling effort that bounces off the post and out. Aquino lets out a cry. Boy, that must be frustrating!
Minute 47 -- Problem for central defender Samuel Umtiti. Gallese kicks a long one out. Umtiti and Farfan go for it and it ends with the Frenchman going down in pain.
Minute 34 (GOAL!) —Mbappe scores the opener for France. Peru lose the ball in the midfield and Pogba passes it to Giroud who directs it to Mbappe. The French teenager then slides in and shoots. His shot takes a deflection off a defender and loops inside the net.
Minute 30 — Great save by Lloris. Guerrero receives the ball inside the box and takes a fine first touch to carve open the defence. He takes a shot at but it is well blocked by the French captain.
Minute 28 — France controlling the proccedings in the middle of the park. Mbappe practically jumps after Trauco kneads him in the back. No foul given.
Minute 18--France start to slowly control the proceedings as Peru look for counter-attacks
Minute 12--Pogba loses his cover and goes for a right-footed strike. The ball bounces off the face of Peru goalkeeper dangerously.
Minute 11 -- Giroud loses the ball in the final third and the ball deflects to Griezmann in the right inside channel. He shots the ball but the effort sails wide
Minute 2 -- Peru dominating the first few minutes with their players spending most of their time in the France half.
Peeeeepppppp!! Kick-off!
Line-ups out:
Oliver Giroud replaces Ousmane Dembele in the starting line-up and Matuidi will start in place of Tolliso in today's match against Peru while the rest of the starting line-up remains unchanged for France.
Oliver Giroud replaces Ousmane Dembele in the starting line-up and Matuidi will start in place of Tolliso in today's match against Peru while the rest of the starting line-up remains unchanged for France.
France vs Peru
France beat Australia 2-1 in their opening match last week, while Peru had suffered a 0-1 defeat to Denmark in their campaign opener.
Although the French won their opening game 2-1 against Australia, it was a far from a convincing display as their attacking trio of Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe too often looked isolated from their midfield. France scored from a penalty conversion from Antoine Griezmann and an own goal late in the game.
Considering the abundance of talents available, France are expected to play fantastic and flamboyant football. But their forward passing was not good against Australia.
Head coach Didier Deschamps has to resolve this issue against a Peru side that was unlucky to lose against Denmark and who could go into the game knowing they need a win to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
One solution would be for Griezmann to drop deeper to link with the midfield, while the introduction of Olivier Giroud for Dembele would provide a focal point for the attack and allow Griezmann and Mbappe to use the full width of the pitch to allow France more fluidity.
"We took stock of what was done well or not so well and all agree that we will have to increase our physical intensity and improve our attitude in general," defender and vice-captain Raphael said.
"Other teams (among the favourites) did not win or even lost. We won, but we know that there are things to improve on. We know what direction we need to go in."
The midfield will comprise of Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante and Corentin Tolisso, while in defence, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Hernandez are certainties. Right-back position will be a toss-up between Benjamin Pavard and Djibril Sidibe.
A win for France will eliminate Peru from the group stage since they lost to Denmark. A draw will keep their hopes alive as one point from Thursday's game will give them the confidence to defeat Australia in their third and final game.
However, Peru defender Luis Advincula is optimistic that a win is possible against France's strong squad. "It's going to be a tough match, we all know the quality they have, but we are eleven against eleven," the defender said. "There are no favourites in this World Cup, it's been shown."
Advincula and his fellow defenders, Christian Ramos, Alberto Rodriguez and Miguel Trauco will be tasked to stop of a fast-paced talented attack from France.
Captain and veteran striker Paolo Guerrero is expected to return to the Peru line-up after sitting on the bench during the game against Denmark. He will share attacking responsibilities with Watford's Andre Carrillo and Lokomotiv Moscow's Jefferson Farfan.
Christian Cueva, Edison Flores and Yoshimar Yotun will be expected to feature in midfield. Renato Tapia, who suffered an injury in the last match, is doubtful.
France National Team. (Photo: @equipedefrance Twitter)
France's 23-man full squad
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Olympique de Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Olympique de Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielder: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Olympique de Marseille).
Peru's 23-man full squad
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Veracruz), Carlos Caceda (Deportivo Municipal), Jose Carvallo (UTC).
Defenders: Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Luis Advincula (Lobos Buap), Christian Ramos (Veracruz), Miguel Araujo (Alianza Lima), Alberto Rodriguez (Atletico Junior), Anderson Santamaria (Puebla), Miguel Trauco (Flamengo), Nilson Loyola (Melgar).
Midfielders: Renato Tapia (Feyenoord), Pedro Aquino (Lobos Buap), Yoshimar Yotun (Orlando City), Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria Guimaraes), Christian Cueva (Sao Paulo), Edison Flores (Aalborg), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers), Wilder Cartagena (Veracruz).
Forwards: Andre Carrillo (Watford), Raul Ruidiaz (Morelia), Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv Moscow), Paolo Guerrero (Flamengo).
