Bixente Lizarazu on France vs Paraguay: 'They could have made us crack'
Former France international Bixente Lizarazu reflected on the difficult World Cup Round of 16 win against Paraguay, citing the South Americans' aggressive defensive style.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Кирилл Венедиктов
Following France's narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup Round of 16, former French defender Bixente Lizarazu shared his analysis of the challenging encounter.
The 1998 World Cup winner noted that the match mirrored a similar struggle he witnessed 28 years ago. According to Lizarazu, the aggressive play and disciplined defensive setup of the South American side created major tactical hurdles for Les Bleus.
They could have made us crack. You have to respect those teams. Bixente Lizarazu
The expert pointed out that the French side struggled to find effective solutions to bypass the opposition's defensive trap. Despite the win, Lizarazu emphasized that the team found it difficult to adapt to the pressure and intensity imposed by Paraguay throughout the game.