Undav's first start shows Germany's depth — but Paraguay won't blink

Germany and Paraguay face each other in the Round of 16 tonight at 22:30 Belgian time in Boston. The question is simple: who advances? Germany’s starting line-up reveals the depth of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad. Deniz Undav, the former Union Berlin striker, makes his first competitive start ahead of Jamal Musiala, who has struggled at this World Cup. Germany’s XI: Neuer – Kimmich, Rüdiger, Tah, Brown – Nmecha, Pavlovic – Sané, Havertz, Wirtz – Undav Paraguay, meanwhile, is built on belief. Their starting eleven features familiar faces from South American football, with little European recognition. Ensico and Almiron are the names to watch. Paraguay’s XI: Gill – Cáceres, Gómez, Canale, Alonso – Almiron, Bobadilla, Cubas, Galarza, Ensico – Avalos

Knockout stage: Brazil vs Japan, Germany vs Paraguay, and Netherlands vs Morocco.

Paraguay’s confidence stems from their qualifying campaign. They defeated both Brazil (1-0) and Argentina (2-1) in the South American qualifiers, results Gustavo Alfaro highlighted before the match. “We have also beaten Argentina and Brazil, teams with the same or even greater status than Germany,” said Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay’s head coach, ahead of the clash with Germany. Alfaro added: “They are all world-title candidates. Those were tough matches for us, but we got the job done.” This is Paraguay’s first World Cup since 2010, when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain. Alfaro is determined to make history again.

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“I told the players this is our first World Cup. What we’ve done to get here should not be underestimated. Only the chosen ones reach the World Cup, and that’s given to only a handful of people. If you seize that chance with both hands, it can change your life.” Germany, despite their status, has not yet found its best form at this tournament. Paraguay will take heart from that uncertainty. The match kicks off at 22:30 Belgian time in Boston, with Germany favoured on paper but Paraguay refusing to back down.