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By Andrew McCarty
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Paraguay started its 2026 World Cup with a brutal 4-1 loss to the United States before bouncing back with a surprising win over Turkey and ended the group stage with a draw against Australia to clinch a spot in the knockout round.
Now Germany head coach Julain Nagelsmann is warning his team about the South American team, suggesting it's an "uncomfortable" opponent for the German side.
"In qualification they conceded very few goals. They are going to ask a lot of us. It's a do or die match. The boys will bring their A-game. We have to be patient," he said. "It's a team which defends well and they stay compact. They have good players and strong physical players. We need a perfect performance."
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Germany faced criticism at home after a mixed group stage which saw them produce a dominant 7-1 victory over Curacao, produce a late comeback to beat Ivory Coast and lose to Ecuador.
"If you win everything is perfect, if you lose everything is [expletive]," Nagelsmann said bluntly.
German star Kai Havertz has faith in his team, though.
"We are fully convinced we can win," Havertz said. "When you are in a big tournament people talk. I don't care what people say. We are focused on ourselves. I don't really care what people say. It takes time because everyone comes from their clubs to the national team and you have to get used to your teammates."
Germany and Paraguay kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
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