Paraguay suffered a 4-1 defeat to the USA in their opening game, looking completely disorganised at the back.

They were then fortunate to hold on for a 1-0 win against Turkey, before Paraguay then played out a goalless stalemate against Australia to secure their position in third. Diego Gomez, who is one of their key players in the heart of midfield, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against the Socceroos last time out, meaning he will be suspended for this clash.

The odds are stacked against Paraguay, and Germany will hope to capitalise. With ten goals scored at the World Cup so far, no side has been as effective as the Germans at finding the back of the net.

Even though seven of those came against Curacao in Germany’s opening World Cup fixture, they have still been fluid in the final third. Germany recorded exactly eight corners against Curacao and the Ivory Coast, respectively.

Paraguay have had less of the ball than their opponents in all three World Cup games so far - in fact, they are averaging just 33% possession. That includes having just 21% of the ball against Turkey in round two, when Paraguay conceded 12 corners. The South American side typically sit in a compact low block, inviting pressure from their opponents.

Germany should dominate proceedings here and spend most of the game in their attacking third, which makes corners a target.

Despite operating in a defensive midfield role, Felix Nmecha has recorded eight shots at the World Cup so far, which is the joint-most in the German squad.

He has consistently looked to break into the box to create overloads, so Nmecha has landed this selection in all three starts for Germany so far. That includes four shots against Curacao in round one, of which three hit the target, and one found the back of the net to get Germany off the mark.

With Paraguay expected to sit deep and soak up German pressure, Nmecha should be able to pick up promising advanced positions to get a couple of shots away.

No player has taken more shots than Nmecha for Germany at this World Cup, but Florian Wirtz has matched his tally so far, and he is another player who recorded multiple shots in every group stage appearance.

Given that Germany are the highest scorers in the competition at this stage, it is perhaps a surprise that Wirtz is yet to find the back of the net.

His involvement in the final third has remained consistent, and he should continue to find chances against Paraguay here. They conceded 60 shots in their three group stage games, and Paraguay's opponents recorded at least five shots on target in all three of those.

Jamal Musiala is another German player who will hope to cause problems in the final third here, as he has looked back to his best in recent games.

The 23-year-old was fouled five times against Ecuador last time out, taking his average to 3.79 fouls drawn per 90 at this World Cup. Not only is that the highest figure in the German squad, but it’s also one of the highest of any player in the tournament.

Andres Cubas will have the tough task of trying to contain him, and he looks set for a massive responsibility in midfield here with Diego Gomez suspended. Cubas has racked up 11 fouls across his three World Cup matches already, showing just how aggressive he is.

On the opposite side, Joshua Kimmich should be given much more attacking freedom from right-back, with the chance to push forward and contribute to attacks.

Kimmich provided two assists against Curacao in round one, and he was again heavily involved against the Ivory Coast. Despite failing to record an assist in that game, the Bayern Munich captain still created two big chances.

Kimmich is the designated set-piece taker for his side, and Germany should have plenty of opportunities to send the ball into the box here.

The 31-year-old managed 12 assists for Bayern Munich this season across all competitions, which shows how effective he is at picking out teammates from his pinpoint crosses.

Matias Galarza scored the all-important goal for Paraguay against Turkey, which earned his side three points.

That was a key reason why Paraguay finished third in Group D. Fonda also scored two goals in six appearances for Paraguay in their qualifying campaign - impressively, he only started three of those games.

Fonda carries a real threat from midfield, and he has shown a tendency to provide moments of inspiration on the big stage. He is one of Paraguay’s biggest transitional threats, and will hope to capitalise on this German back line, who are still yet to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup.

That tally of 11 infringements is unsurprisingly the most of any Paraguay player, but Juan Jose Caceres is not too far behind, with seven fouls to his name.

The fullback has recorded at least two fouls in all three World Cup matches so far, and he was booked in the opening fixture against the USA. He tends to be quite reckless in his challenges, and Caceres had an average of 1.95 fouls per 90 for Paraguay throughout their World Cup qualifying campaign.

It is likely to be relentless pressure from the Germans here, and Caceres will primarily be up against Wirtz on the flank. The fullback will have plenty of defensive work to get through in this knockout tie.

After being shown a red card for covering his mouth against Turkey, Miguel Almiron was suspended for Paraguay's final group game against Australia.

The former Newcastle man will be available to return here, and he will have to play a big role if Paraguay are to compete against Germany.

Almiron is typically used as Paraguay's primary outlet when they transition from defence to attack, and he often looks to carry the ball. He averaged 1.73 fouls drawn per 90 for Paraguay throughout their qualifying matches, which was one of the highest figures in the squad.

Germany can be quite aggressive in their press, particularly in midfield, and they racked up 18 fouls against Curacao in round one.