Germany – Paraguay

The European team will leave the opponent with no chance.

The German national team has become one of the most criticized at the World Cup in North America. And this is despite the fact that Julian Nagelsmann's side had already secured first place in the group after the second match. On the one hand, the reason for this lies in the recent years of the German national team, which can be described as inglorious. After the triumphant 2014 World Cup, the Germans faded into the background both on the world football stage and in Europe. Neither the home European Championship nor the home Nations League finals saved the situation. On the other hand, Nagelsmann himself often makes decisions that are not understood by German football specialists. When coaching ideas bring short-term success, it's not given much comment. But the first stumble triggers a wave of criticism. In North America the Germans have something to be criticized for. If in the first group-stage round they had fun with Curaçao, beating them 7-1, then with the following opponents the German fans were not in the mood to laugh. Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador cannot be called weak teams. Both squads can be classified as the second tier of the World Cup. Such teams have never won the Mundial, but they often spoiled the nerves of those countries that set such goals. In the match against the Africans, the Germans had to come from behind during the game and, aided by sheer luck, snatch a victory in stoppage time of the second half. In the match against Ecuador, Nagelsmann's team was simply swept off the field by the energy and will to win of the South American side - 1:2. The upcoming Round of 16 match is a moment of truth for Nagelsmann and his players. There's no longer a chance to shuffle the lineup and determine the strongest forward in the team or argue about the feasibility of having Zule on the field. The German coaching staff must field their strongest side and confidently deal with the opponent, so as not to doubt their strength going forward, because in the Round of 16 the opponent will be of a completely different level. Paraguay reached the knockout stage thanks to the group's obvious weakness, finishing below Australia, as well as crazy luck in the match against the Turks. Let's bet on a crushing victory for the Germans.