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Germany suffered a surprise defeat to Ecuador in their final group fixture.
Germany defeated Curacao 7-1 and Cote d’Ivoire 2- in Group E. (AP Photo)
FIFA World Cup 2026, Germany Vs Paraguay: Under-pressure Germany face Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup 2026 round-of-32 match tonight. Expectations continue to grow back home in Germany, with several of their biggest stars still searching for their best form.
The four-time champions arrived at the tournament in outstanding shape, carrying a nine-match winning streak into the competition. They opened Group E with a commanding 7-1 victory over Curacao before edging Ivory Coast with a stoppage-time winner to finish top of the group and reach the knockout rounds for the first time in 12 years.
However, the momentum they had built was interrupted by a surprise 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in their final group game. The loss not only ended what would have been a 12th consecutive victory but also triggered fresh concerns among supporters.
Germany entered this World Cup looking to move beyond disappointing first-round eliminations in both the 2018 and 2022 editions. The defeat to Ecuador also raised fresh questions over coach Julian Nagelsmann’s pre-tournament belief that his side could win the title.
Much of the scrutiny has centred on Germany’s attacking trio of Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz, who have yet to meet expectations and have struggled particularly across the last two matches. Instead, substitute Deniz Undav leads the team with three goals at the tournament.
Standing in Germany‘s way are Paraguay, who reached the knockout stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the expanded 48-team tournament. Their campaign began with a heavy 4-1 defeat to co-hosts United States, but they responded impressively by upsetting Turkey 1-0 before securing a goalless draw against Australia on Friday to book their place in the last 32.
Paraguay‘s disciplined defending has produced back-to-back clean sheets, and their physical approach is expected to test Germany. The underdogs are likely to absorb pressure before looking to strike on the counterattack.
Germany vs Paraguay Predicted XIs
Germany Predicted Starting XI: Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, David Raum; Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz; Kai Havertz
Paraguay Predicted Starting XI: Orlando Gil; Juan Jose Caceres, Gustavo Velazquez, Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, Alexandro Maidana; Miguel Almiron, Andres Cubas, Matias Galarza; Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso
Germany vs Paraguay Live Streaming & Match Timings
- Match Date: June 30 (Tuesday in India)
- Start Time: 2 on IST
- Live Streaming: Zee5 website and app
- TV Broadcast: Unite8 Sports
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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