Made history! Bobadilla helps Paraguay knock Germany out of World Cup | OneFootball

Paraguay produced the first major upset of this World Cup knockout stage by eliminating powerhouse Germany on penalties this Monday (29), after a 1-1 draw.

Paraguay’s qualification came through grit and sheer suffering. The team had just 25% possession, but held off the Germans for more than 120 minutes, taking the match to extra time before the shootout.

And it was Paraguay who struck first, still in the first half. São Paulo defensive midfielder Bobadilla won the ball high in midfield, and the move ended with a header from Enciso in the 42nd minute of the opening half.

Forward Havertz equalized for Germany just 9 minutes into the second half, making it seem like things were about to go wrong for the South Americans. But Paraguay, in true Libertadores-spirit fashion, managed to take the match to penalties, even after a scare: a Tah goal in extra time that was correctly disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper.

After a poor start to the World Cup, with an own goal in the opener and the loss of his starting spot, Bobadilla returned to Paraguay’s starting XI and delivered a strong performance in this round-of-32 clash.

The São Paulo man played 99 minutes, completed his only attempted cross, and connected on 13 of his 17 passes in the match. Boba recorded an incredible 17 defensive actions, with eight clearances, three interceptions, and winning five of six ground duels. He regained not only his place in the team, but also his confidence for the rest of the tournament.

Four-time champions Germany are heading home early. They were not among the top favorites, but it is still a disappointment to go out so soon. Paraguay now await the winner of the European clash between France and Sweden to find out their opponent in the World Cup round of 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.