Henry lauds ‘solid and balanced’ France squad

Former France striker Thierry Henry has lauded the 2018 World champions for being solid and balanced.

Les Bleus made a bold statement in the round of 32 as they trashed Sweden 3-0, with a brace from Kylian Mbappé, who is now joint-top scorer with Lionel Messi at the tournament being held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

France, which won all their group games, proved their mettle again in a match in which they had hit the post on several occasions before eventually having the breakthrough.

Speaking on Fox Sports after France’s victory against Sweden, the Arsenal legend said he likes how Didier Deschamps’ side is solid and balanced.

The win secured a passage to the round of 16 for Les Bleus. They will now play Paraguay, which shocked Germany in the round of 32, winning via penalties.

The Frenchman predicted that the World Cup Round of 16 clash would be difficult.

Paraguay had emerged as one of the best losers of the competition, sending Germany home. 

It’s a game filled with surprises, as noted by the performance of African sides, Congo Dr and Senegal, that almost ran away with the win before England and Belgium dug deep to win their respective games to secure a round of 16 ticket.

Having played against Paraguay in the 1998 edition, which France hosted and won, Henry expects a difficult game.

“I have been there before in 1998; you know how difficult it is to play against Paraguay. So it would be going to be difficult, but what I like about this French team is how they are solid and balanced,” Henry pointed out.

Although France is tipped as the favourite in the clash, Didier Deschamps’ men must find a way to secure a win against a disciplined Paraguay side who would rely on their defensive abilities.

France will have most of the ball, and more creativity will be needed to unlock Paraguay’s defence to continue their unbeaten run in the tournament with their eyes on the trophy they last won in 2018.