World Cup 2026: Paraguay Lead Germany at Halftime (1-0)

Paraguay lead Germany 1-0 at halftime in their 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match at Boston Stadium after Julio Enciso’s 42nd-minute goal.

Henry DONCHE

View all articles

On 29 Jun 2026 at 22:22 Updated 29 Jun 2026

FOOTBALL

352 views

Illustration du match Allemagne VS Paraguay, le 29/06/2026 21:30, stade Boston Stadium

3 min read

Google News Comment

SUMMARY

Germany – territorial dominance without attacking reward
Paraguay – efficiency and defensive solidity rewarded

Paraguay lead Germany 1-0 at halftime in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, played at Boston Stadium on June 29. Julio Enciso scored the only goal of the first half in the 42nd minute, making the most of an assist from Matías Galarza. The opener puts Paraguay in a favorable position in this clash between leading international sides.

This match pits two teams with contrasting strategies against each other. Germany, led by Julian Nagelsmann, are deploying a 4-2-3-1 heavily geared toward possession, while Paraguay, coached by Gustavo Alfaro, favor a more solid 4-1-4-1 setup, built on defensive discipline and speed on the counterattack.

During the first half, Germany dominated territorially with 78% possession and a total of 322 passes, 90% of them accurate. However, that control of the ball did not translate into dangerous chances, as the Germans failed to put any shot on target despite four attempts, mostly from distance. Paraguay, for their part, were more restrained in possession (22%) but direct and efficient, putting two of their three attempts on target and converting one of them into a goal.

The decisive goal came in the 42nd minute, when Julio Enciso, playing in attack, took advantage of a key pass from Matías Galarza to beat goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The goal makes Enciso Paraguay’s standout player, with a 7.6 rating at halftime. Galarza also stands out for his ability to organize play in midfield.

The German national team lines up with a defense made up of Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, Joshua Kimmich and Nathaniel Brown, the latter absent from this match because of injury. The midfield combines the efforts of Félix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlović and Leroy Sané. In attack, Florian Wirtz, Deniz Undav and Kai Havertz are trying to get around Paraguay’s solid organization, without success so far.

Germany – territorial dominance without attacking reward

Julian Nagelsmann has opted for a 4-2-3-1 with Manuel Neuer as the last line of defense. The back four is strengthened by Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rüdiger in the center. The midfield double pivot pairs Félix Nmecha with Aleksandar Pavlović to contain the opposition’s play and launch attacks. On the wings, Leroy Sané and Deniz Undav provide the creativity, while Kai Havertz carries the attacking responsibility up front. Despite their high share of possession and a 90% passing accuracy, Germany are struggling to find a breakthrough against a compact and disciplined Paraguay side.

Paraguay – efficiency and defensive solidity rewarded

Gustavo Alfaro has chosen a 4-1-4-1 system with Orlando Gill in goal and a well-organized defense featuring Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, José Canale and Junior Alonso. Andrés Cubas shields the defense in midfield, while Miguel Almirón, Damián Bobadilla, Matías Galarza and Julio Enciso provide attacking service for Gabriel Ávalos up front. This setup has allowed Paraguay to stay compact while looking dangerous on their rare forays forward. Their efficiency has been rewarded with a goal in the 42nd minute against a Germany side that has the ball but lacks attacking inspiration.

Germany

Penalties finished 1-1 (3-4 pens) Gillette Stadium

Paraguay

29/06/2026 21:30 Round of 32 90 min 1-1 Pens 3-4

Fil du match

42'But - J. Enciso (passe M. Galarza)Paraguay, 42e
46'Remplacement - F. Nmecha (remplace L. Goretzka)Allemagne, 46e
54'But - K. Havertz (passe F. Wirtz)Allemagne, 54e
55'Remplacement - G. Avalos (remplace G. Caballero)Paraguay, 55e
57'Remplacement - J. Enciso (remplace Mauricio)Paraguay, 57e
63'Remplacement - D. Undav (remplace J. Musiala)Allemagne, 63e
65'Carton jaune - A. CubasParaguay, 65e
79'Remplacement - A. Pavlovic (remplace W. Anton)Allemagne, 79e
88'Remplacement - L. Sane (remplace N. Woltemade)Allemagne, 88e
91'Remplacement - M. Almiron (remplace G. Velazquez)Paraguay, 91e
99'Remplacement - J. Caceres (remplace B. Ojeda)Paraguay, 99e
99'Remplacement - D. Bobadilla (remplace A. Sanabria)Paraguay, 99e
102'VAR - J. TahAllemagne, 102e
105'Carton jaune - G. AlfaroParaguay, 105e
105+1'Carton jaune - J. NagelsmannAllemagne, 105+1e
106'Carton jaune - K. HavertzAllemagne, 106e
110'Remplacement - F. Wirtz (remplace N. Amiri)Allemagne, 110e
110'Remplacement - A. Rudiger (remplace M. Thiaw)Allemagne, 110e
115'Carton jaune - J. MusialaAllemagne, 115e
117'Carton jaune - M. GalarzaParaguay, 117e
120+2'Remplacement - J. Alonso (remplace Fabian Balbuena)Paraguay, 120+2e
120+1'But - MauricioParaguay, 120+1e
120+2'But - J. KimmichAllemagne, 120+2e
120+2'But - G. GomezParaguay, 120+2e
120+3'But - J. MusialaAllemagne, 120+3e
120+3'But - M. GalarzaParaguay, 120+3e
120+5'But - N. AmiriAllemagne, 120+5e
120+6'But - J. CanaleParaguay, 120+6e

Les chiffres du match

Tirs cadres : Germany 6 / Paraguay 3
Tirs : Germany 21 / Paraguay 7
Possession : Germany 75% / Paraguay 25%
Corners : Germany 16 / Paraguay 6
Fautes : Germany 18 / Paraguay 12
Cartons jaunes : Germany 2 / Paraguay 2
Passes : Germany 799 / Paraguay 257
Precision des passes : Germany 90% / Paraguay 63%
xG : Germany 1.49 / Paraguay 0.42

Round of 32 schedule

View full schedule

World Cup 2026: Paraguay Lead Germany at Halftime (1-0)

SUMMARY

Germany – territorial dominance without attacking reward

Paraguay – efficiency and defensive solidity rewarded

Comments