Both Türkiye and Paraguay will look to bounce back from their previous defeats as they face each other in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, California on Friday.
Paraguay came second best in a 4-1 loss to USA in their opening match of the World Cup while Türkiye suffered 2-0 defeat against Australia in their game,
A win for either of the team will keep in the contention to make it to the next round while a loss could badly hamper their chances.
Here's everything you need to know about the match.
How to watch:
The match will be available on BBC in the UK, Fox Sports in the U.S., Zee5 in India and SBS in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Date, kick-off time:
U.S. ET: 11 p.m.. Friday, June 19
UK BST: 4 a.m., Saturday, June 20
India IST: 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 20
Australia AEST: 1 p.m., Saturday, June 20
Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Referee: Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros
Team News
Türkiye - Predicted XI:
GK: Ugurcan Çakir
LB: Ferdi Kadioglu; CB: Abdülkerim Bardakci; CB: Merih Demiral; RB: Zeki Çelik
CM: Hakan Çalhanoglu; CM: Ismail Yüksek
LW: Baris Alper Yilmaz; CM: Orkun Kökcü; CAM: Arda Güler
FW: Kerem Aktürkoglu
Paraguay - Predicted XI:
GK: Orlando Gil
LB: Júnior Alonso; CB: Omar Alderete; CB: Gustavo Gómez; RB: Juan Cáceres
LW: Miguel Almirón; CDM: Damián Bobadilla; CM: Andrés Cubas; RW: Diego Gómez
ST: Antonio Sanabria; FW: Julio Enciso
Talking Points
Türkiye need more in the attacking third
Against Australia, Türkiye dominated with the ball with 72% of the possession and eight shots on target to Australia's four. They had to face an outstanding keeper in Patrick Beach who pulled a few fine saves but Türkiye were largely ordinary in the attacking third. For all the possession and intricate passing between their attackers, they just couldn't find a way to score. Either the final pass was poor, or the finish was not good enough. They created only two big chances in the entire game.
Manager Vincenzo Montella will have to ensure the same issue doesn't come up against Paraguay, who will sit deep in a block and use their physicality to stop their opponents. Türkiye should have a plan to break down a tough defence, they have the attackers who can do it with the likes of Arda Güler, Kenan Yildiz and Baris Alper Yilmaz in their ranks. While Australia punished Türkiye in counter attacks and sure, their defence needs to be switched on all the time, but their strength is their attacking quality and they need goals.
Paraguay's famed defence in disarray
Gustavo Alfaro built this side on a strong defensive setup who can punish their opponents with effective counter attacks. The entire philosophy fell apart in a brutal 4-1 loss against hosts USA. They were overwhelmed by the relentlessness of the USA, couldn't deal with the pressing and ended up conceding four goals. This was a team that made it to the World Cup by keeping clean sheets.
Paraguay will need to become a lot tougher in the upcoming match if they want to stay in the World Cup. They need to find the defensive solidity against Türkiye and hurt them in counter attacks. They would've seen what Australia did to their opponents and need that kind of efficiency with the ball. They will depend heavily on Julio Enciso and Miguel Almirón for goals but overall as a team, they need to improve their defense. One more loss could end their party.