Doué ousts Barcola on penalty and reignites debate ahead of Morocco quarter-final

Désiré Doué was the standout performer in France’s Round of 16 clash with Paraguay (1-0) on Saturday night, winning the decisive penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé shortly after coming on at the hour mark. Without that dribbling sequence in the Paraguay box, the Albirroja’s defence might never have cracked.

Consultant Bixente Lizarazu praised the immediate impact of the France number 20. “Fortunately Désiré Doué came on, with his sequence of dribbles that made the difference. And that logical penalty awarded to France. That’s the talent of the France team and also the talent of players on the bench. Bradley Barcola was starting, but it was Doué who made the difference,” he told L’Équipe.

The question of who should start now looms before the quarter-final against Morocco, scheduled for Thursday at 10 p.m. The Angers native is no stranger to making an impact in this World Cup: he had already started the group matches against Senegal and Norway before being relegated to the bench for the knockout tie.

This competition between the two Paris Saint-Germain wingers extends beyond the France setup. At club level, Bradley Barcola remains one of the most-used players by Luis Enrique, but it is Doué whom the Spanish coach has preferred for decisive matches — notably in both Ligue des Champions finals won by PSG this season.

Two complementary profiles, two hierarchies emerging depending on the weight of the matches: Didier Deschamps will have to decide for the clash against the Lions of the Atlas.