Lucas Digne surprise 'justified' as French media love what he did vs Sweden

Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne made another World Cup start as France faced Sweden on Tuesday.

The left-back faced mixed reviews throughout the season at Villa Park, but has become an asset for his national team.

He came in from the start in the round of 32 after starting against Iraq in the group stage.

Didier Deschamps surprisingly selected him ahead of Theo Hernandez in his first knockout clash of the summer.

The 32-year-old featured as Les Bleus secured a clear-cut 3-0 win thanks to Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola.

That has sparked plenty of positivity towards Digne despite some initial reservations about his inclusion against Sweden.

What did the French media say about Lucas Digne vs Sweden?

There were always going to be questions about the ex-Everton man featuring from the start.

Dropping Hernandez after years of being the go-to left-back caused a stir ahead of the round of 32 outing.

That was especially the case with Anthony Elanga lining up on the right for Graham Potter's side.

Digne managed to change the record as he left online outlet Maxifoot impressed by his performance.

They wrote: "the French left-back justified the faith shown in him by coach Didier Deschamps. Defensively, the Aston Villa player was reassuring, winning the majority of his duels against Elanga."

Ouest France were impressed by his "solid performance" while noting that "he didn't hide" up against Elanga down the wing.

His work up against the Newcastle winger didn't go unnoticed by L'Equipe who were impressed by his showing after the half time whistle.

They loved his performance, writing: "He really stepped up his game in the second half, staying tighter to his opponent and winning the vast majority of his duels."

It's clear that the local media are happy with the 32-year-old as we delve into the numbers behind his performance.

What do the numbers say about Aston Villa star Digne vs Sweden

The left-back lasted 78 minutes before being taken off, but made a positive impression in that time.

His defensive work is typically secondary to his attacking play in claret and blue.

That wasn't the case against Sweden as he put up eight defensive actions including seven clearances and one tackle.

He added to that with five successful duels before looking further up the pitch.

Digne completed six passes into the final third while also maintaining a 100 per cent shot accuracy.

The Villa defender proved his worth for France and could have landed himself a regular role moving forward in the tournament.