Turkiye vs Paraguay – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Turkiye and Paraguay meet at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara in the early hours of Saturday morning with their World Cup campaigns on the line.

Both sides suffered heavy opening defeats and arrive into this fixture knowing that another loss would effectively end their knockout ambitions. Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye were shock victims of Australia’s counter-attacking masterclass on matchday one, despite dominating the contest.

Paraguay, meanwhile, were swept aside by the United States, conceding three times before half-time in Los Angeles. For both nations, this is as close to a must-win as the group stage gets.

Turkiye vs Paraguay – Match preview and team news

Turkiye team news

Montella has no major injury concerns ahead of the fixture, though Kenan Yildiz continues to be monitored for a calf problem. The Juventus forward is pushing to start, and his availability would hand Turkiye a significant creative boost alongside Arda Guler.

Hakan Calhanoglu captains the side once more, pulling the strings from deep and taking responsibility for set pieces. Merih Demiral and Abdulkerim Bardakci are expected to anchor the centre of defence, with Ferdi Kadioglu, who created five chances against Australia, continuing at left-back.

Paraguay team news

Paraguay have no confirmed fresh injury concerns heading into the Santa Clara fixture. Ramon Sosa, who has been managing an ankle issue, requires assessment before a final decision is made on his involvement. Alexandro Maidana could come in at left-back in place of Junior Alonso to shore up a defence that was badly exposed against the United States.

Tonny Sanabria is expected to continue as the lone striker, with Julio Enciso, Diego Gomez and Miguel Almiron in support. Substitute Mauricio, who scored against the USA, pushes for a starting role but is likely to begin on the bench again.

Form

Turkiye

Turkiye’s opening defeat to Australia was a rude awakening for a side that had won seven of their previous eight matches heading into the tournament. They dominated possession and created chance after chance in Vancouver, but were punished by a disciplined Socceroos side who struck twice on the counter. Montella now demands far greater ruthlessness in the final third if his side are to stay alive in Group D.

Paraguay

Paraguay endured a chastening return to the global stage against the United States. Three goals down at half-time in Los Angeles, Gustavo Alfaro’s side never recovered, ultimately falling to a 4-1 defeat. A goal from substitute Mauricio offered a brief consolation, but the manner of the defeat — particularly the defensive disorganisation in the first half — will concern Alfaro deeply. Rediscovering their defensive solidity is essential if they are to frustrate a technically superior Turkish side tonight.

Predicted lineups

Turkiye possible starting XI: Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Guler, Kokcu, Yilmaz; Akturkoglu

Paraguay possible starting XI: Gill; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Maidana; Bobadilla, Cubas; D. Gomez, Enciso, Almiron; Sanabria

How to watch Turkiye vs Paraguay in the UK?

UK viewers can watch the match live on ITV1, with a live stream available via ITVX.

Read more – 📈 World Cup Power Rankings: German goal-fest and Messi magic

See Also- Man Utd won’t negotiate new Rashford loan with Barcelona

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok