Germany begin knockout campaign against Paraguay
Germany return to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2014, taking on a resilient Paraguay side aiming to spring a major upset in the round of 32.
Germany will look to take another step towards reclaiming football's biggest prize when they face Paraguay in the Fifa World Cup round of 32 at Boston Stadium on Monday (29 June).
The four-time world champions are featuring in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since winning the title in 2014.
The match kicks off at 2.30am early Tuesday (BST).
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Julian Nagelsmann's side topped Group E despite an inconsistent campaign, while Paraguay recovered from an opening defeat to secure their place in the knockout rounds.
Germany opened their tournament with a commanding 7-1 victory over Curaçao before rallying from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1, with Deniz Undav scoring the late winner.
A narrow 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in their final group game did little to prevent them from finishing top of Group E, ending their recent World Cup struggles after group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022.
One of Germany's biggest strengths has been their attacking variety, with seven different players finding the net during the group stage.
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could also make history by becoming Germany's all-time leading World Cup starter with his 23rd appearance, surpassing both Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose.
Paraguay bounced back from a heavy 4-1 loss to co-hosts the United States by defeating Turkey 1-0 despite playing much of the match with 10 men before securing a goalless draw against Australia.
Julio Enciso has been the creative force behind their attack, providing assists for both of Paraguay's goals while leading the team in chances created during the tournament.
History, however, favours Germany. Paraguay have reached the World Cup knockout stage five times but have progressed only once, while they have never scored in any of their previous five knockout matches.
Germany also defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup before eventually finishing runners-up.
With superior squad depth, attacking quality and far greater knockout-stage experience, Germany will be confident of extending their World Cup campaign.
Paraguay have shown resilience throughout the group stage but face a daunting task if they are to pull off one of the tournament's biggest upsets.
Team news
Germany are expected to be without Nathaniel Brown, who is recovering from a muscle injury, while Nico Schlotterbeck remains sidelined after being ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury. Julian Nagelsmann is otherwise expected to field a strong side led by veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Paraguay have no fresh injury concerns and are likely to stick with the defensive 5-3-2 system that helped them qualify from the group stage.
Probable XIs
Germany: Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, David Raum; Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz; Kai Havertz.
Paraguay: Orlando Gil; Juan José Cáceres, Gustavo Velázquez, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Alexandro Maidana; Miguel Almirón, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso.
