Paraguay sent Germany home in the first knockout round, but the South Americans face an altogether more testing examination as they prepare for France in Philadelphia.
Didier Deschamps' side are marching towards atoning for defeat in the World Cup final in Qatar in 2022 and their attacking arsenal looks set to wreak more havoc.
Les Bleus have scored at least three goals in each of their last five games and Paraguay face an arduous task in trying to keep threats at bay all over the pitch.
Paraguay v France Tips Summary
Best Bet - France -1 @ 8/13
Alternative Bet - Michael Olise anytime goalscorer @ 7/4
Bet Builder - France to win both halves, Kylian Mbappe to score, Bradley Barcola 1+ shots on target & Over 9 corners @ 13/2
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Paraguay v France Prediction
Best Bet: France -1 @ 8/13
France looked irresistible in their 3-0 win against Sweden in the last 32. They dominated the ball, had a hefty 12 shots on target and could easily have run up a higher score.
As it is, Deschamps' side have scored 13 goals in four games at this World Cup, now netting at least three times in eight of their last 10 games.
Kylian Mbappe has the bit between his teeth with six goals and two assists already, while the supporting cast of Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele are fearsome.
Paraguay took the scalp of Germany, but Die Mannschaft simply didn't ask the sort of questions France will, nor did they have the pace and variation that Les Bleus possess.
The South Americans were thumped 4-1 by the USA in their opening game and have ridden their luck at times to get here.
France will be in no mood to allow them to go further and a ruthless dismissal is likely.
Alternative Bet: Michael Olise anytime goalscorer @ 7/4
No goals yet for Olise, who had landed himself a hat-trick in the final friendly against Northern Ireland before coming to America.
He has had five assists and had 14 shots at goal already, including an audacious overhead kick against Sweden that came back off an upright.
Olise scored 15 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich in season 2025-26 at a rate of one every 155 minutes and can open his World Cup goalscoring account here.
Paraguay v France Bet Builder Tip
France to win both halves
Kylian Mbappe to score
Bradley Barcola 1+ shots on target
Over 9 corners
Pays 13/2
The goalscoring prowess of this French side means they have won both halves in three of their four games.
Paraguay are going to be under siege and they've scored just two in three games since the opening loss to the USA.
They allowed Turkey to take 32 shots at goal - without scoring - and the French won't be as errant with their finishing.
Mbappe is on fire and, if his side go all the way, the Real Madrid superstar could threaten Just Fontaine's World Cup record of 13 goals in one tournament - which included a hat-trick against Paraguay - in 1958.
The French talisman can net another goal now.
Barcola scored against Senegal and Sweden already and he also had an assist against Norway. He had two shots on target against Sweden, one after a mazy run through the heart of the defence and he can register at least one more here.
Paraguay's possession stats have twice come in below 25 per cent in four games and they had to go 120 minutes against the Germans - facing 16 corners as they did. Turkey took 12 corners in their losing effort.
Three of France's four games have landed on combined corner counts of nine or 10 and a similar figure or more is forecast here.
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Key Match Stats
France have won both halves in three of their four World Cup matches.
Kylian Mbappe has scored in nine of his last 10 competitive internationals.
Mbappe has had 11 goal contributions in his last five World Cup games (nine goals, two assists).
Les Bleus have scored at least three goals in each of their last five games.
Paraguay have scored more than once in just one of their last seven matches.
France have picked just one yellow card during their last six games.
Michael Olise has set up five goals for his France team-mates at the World Cup.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
