Paraguay pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest surprises by eliminating Germany in a dramatic Round of 32 encounter at Boston Stadium.
After the teams finished level at 1-1 over 90 minutes, the South Americans prevailed 4-3 in the penalty shootout to advance to the next stage.
Gustavo Alfaro’s men took control late in the opening half when Julio Enciso capitalised on an opportunity in the 42nd minute to break the deadlock.
Paraguay defended resolutely after taking the lead and frustrated Germany with a disciplined display before the interval.
Germany emerged with renewed purpose after the restart and found the equaliser through Kai Havertz.
The forward expertly redirected Florian Wirtz’s cross into the net to bring his side back on level terms.
The Germans believed they had completed the comeback when Jonathan Tah headed home from a set-piece, but the goal was ruled out, leaving the contest to be decided from the penalty spot.
The shootout began badly for Germany as Kai Havertz failed to beat Paraguay’s goalkeeper with the opening kick.
Mauricio immediately punished the miss, while Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala successfully converted to keep Germany in contention.
Paraguay maintained its advantage through composed finishes from Gustavo Gómez and Matías Galarza.
Nick Woltemade’s missed penalty appeared to leave Germany on the brink of elimination.
Manuel Neuer rescued his side by denying Antonio Sanabria, allowing Nadiem Amiri to level the scores once again.
Neuer produced another excellent save to stop Fabián Balbuena and briefly extended Germany’s hopes.
Paraguay eventually secured their deserved victory when José Canale calmly dispatched the decisive penalty, sending his side into the Round of 16.
The result marks a historic achievement for Paraguay, while Germany bows out of the tournament after suffering their first-ever FIFA World Cup penalty shootout defeat.
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