Germany will kick-start their knockout campaign with a clash against Paraguay, who have finished as one of the best third-placed sides.
Julian Nagelsmann made some rotations for the third group-stage game, and he will restore his strongest line-up when Germany takes on Paraguay. So far, Die Mannschaft have enjoyed a terrific tournament, starting with a 7-1 win over Curacao and then leaving it late to beat the Ivory Coast.
With their status as group winners already secured following the win over the Ivory Coast, they faced Ecuador in the final group-stage clash. La Albirroja needed a win to secure a place in the round of 32, and they did so with a 2-1 win over the former champions.
Nagelsmann’s men now face Paraguay, and should they win this round-of-32 clash, there is a possibility, according to calculations, that they could face France in the round of 16, provided the latter win their game in the coming period. However, Germany will now want to focus on the task ahead, as a big game against the South Americans awaits.
Meanwhile, Paraguay had to dig deep to secure their place in the round of 32, which looked difficult early on. Gustavo Alfaro’s side had a difficult beginning to the tournament after a thrashing at the hands of the co-hosts, the USA.
Paraguay did bounce back with a narrow victory over Turkey, playing with ten men for the entire second half after Miguel Almiron was controversially sent off. That win helped them greatly to make it through to the next round, as they were held by Australia in a goalless draw in their third group game. Now, they are set for a big game against Germany, and Alfaro will hope for a strong performance from his players.
Team News & Tactics
Germany
Julian Nagelsmann is expected to restore his strongest available lineup, and that may not see Deniz Undav drafted in from the start. Despite some criticism following the Ecuador game, Manuel Neuer is expected to retain his role as the No. 1 goalkeeper, while the manager will continue to prefer Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rudiger as his main central defenders. Germany have lost Nico Schlotterbeck to a tournament-ending injury.
In a major boost, Nagelsmann has seemingly hinted that Nathaniel Brown should be back in the team following news of a minor injury that saw him miss out against Ecuador. He should replace David Raum at left-back, while Joshua Kimmich should continue at right-back.
Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlovic are expected to keep their midfield places, while Jamal Musiala will play in the attacking midfield role. Florian Wirtz is preferred on the left, while Leroy Sane is stationed on the right. Kai Havertz will continue to lead the line for Germany, despite the chatter about Undav and his impressive performances at the World Cup so far.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Paraguay
Gustavo Alfaro will have Miguel Almiron available for this crucial knockout game after the attacker served a mandatory one-game ban following his red card against Turkey.
The Atlanta United star is widely seen as the main creative and attacking threat in the side, and Alfaro will be boosted by his presence, especially with Paraguay struggling to score goals in the tournament.
With Antony Silva set to continue between the sticks, he will have a familiar back four of Juan Jose Caceres, Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, and Junior Alonso.
In midfield, the match-winner against Turkey, Matias Galarza, will feature alongside Andres Cubas, as Alfaro will make changes to his front line, although Isidro Pitta will lead the line for Paraguay against Germany. Diego Gomez will take his spot on the right wing, with Julio Enciso in the No. 10 role. Finally, the returning Almiron will take his spot on the left flank.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gill; Caceres, Gustavo Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Cubas, Galarza; Diego Gomez, Enciso, Almiron; Pitta
Key Stats
- Germany have scored 10 goals from their three games at the World Cup.
- Germany have not kept a clean sheet at the World Cup
- Paraguay have kept consecutive clean sheets at the World Cup.
- Paraguay have scored only two goals at the World Cup so far.
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
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The key to unlocking defences, Musiala is someone Nagelsmann had big hopes for, but so far, he has not lived up to expectations. Yet the platform is set for him, beginning with the round-of-32 clash, as the Bayern Munich man must come to the party.
A lot of Germany’s attack depends on how connected the No. 10 is, and Musiala, well known for his creative output at club level, needs to make his presence felt. More importantly, Musiala needs to take ownership of the role and responsibility that this position demands, as he is no longer the understudy to some of the former players. This World Cup could be a platform for him to build a huge identity for himself on the world stage.
Prediction
Germany 3-1 Paraguay
Julian Nagelsmann will want to build his own identity on the world stage with Germany, and he has done the first part of his job of taking the team into the knockout stage, something they have not done since the 2014 edition. However, with Paraguay standing in between his team and a round-of-16 spot, Nagelsmann will want a performance worthy enough to build confidence before taking on the next big opponent.
Paraguay are not expected to beat Germany, and despite the fact that anything can happen in knockout football, Germany are unlikely to suffer an upset. Die Mannschaft are rightly the favourites to clinch a place in the next round, although they may not be able to keep their first clean sheet at the World Cup.
