Sabasports Match Preview
World Cup: Türkiye vs Paraguay
Kickoff Time: 2026-06-20 11:00 (HKT)
In the opening match of the group stage, Türkiye pulled off a shock defeat, losing 0-2 to Australia. Failing to pick up any points here would leave Türkiye with slim chances of qualifying for the knockout stage. Looking back at the fixture, Türkiye dominated possession with a staggering 72% ball control and registered as many as 30 shots on target. Yet they failed to convert any chances against Australia’s deep, compact defensive block. For large stretches of the game, Türkiye were reduced to fruitless crosses from the flanks and long-range efforts from outside the box. Türkiye lacked penetrative threats and rapid runners inside the penalty area, relying excessively on individual brilliance from Arda Güler. After conceding goals, their desperate urge to push forward left gaping holes at the back, which Australia exploited to score their second goal via a counterattack. For this upcoming clash, Türkiye must improve their attacking efficiency, cut out pointless horizontal passes, and sharpen the accuracy of their final balls in the final third. They are expected to dictate the game tempo through quick short passing combinations orchestrated by Hakan Çalhanoğlu in midfield and individual dribbles from Arda Güler. Meanwhile, Kenan Yıldız and Kerem Aktürkoğlu will look to threaten Paraguay’s defence with cutting inside from the wings or delivering dangerous crosses.
Paraguay were overwhelmed by the host nation USA in their opening fixture, falling to a 1-4 loss. A minus-three goal difference puts them at a severe disadvantage in the race for a knockout stage spot. Every full-back and wing-back on both sides was booked during the match, exposing glaring flaws in their wide defensive work. Since taking charge, head coach Gustavo Alfaro has aimed to build a rugged, defence-first side modelled after Italy’s renowned backline from South America. Though their first game yielded poor results, a last-minute tactical overhaul is no longer viable. Against Türkiye, Paraguay are tipped to stick rigidly to their counterattacking game plan, dropping their defensive line deep into their own 30-metre zone. Veteran centre-back Gustavo Gómez will draw on his experience to block off Türkiye’s shooting lanes. On the break, they will lean on Miguel Almirón’s explosive bursts down the flanks and long-distance strikes from Julio Enciso. Once they win possession, Paraguay will launch direct long balls to their talisman Almirón, who can exploit the vacant spaces left behind Türkiye’s advanced full-backs with solo runs. Almirón is the heartbeat of their attack; if he is tightly marked and neutralised, Paraguay’s counterattacks will lose all cutting edge.
This fixture essentially pits Türkiye’s high-pressing possession-based build-up play against Paraguay’s low-block defensive counterattacks — in short, a one-sided battle where Türkiye take the attacking initiative and Paraguay prioritise defending. With a deeper and more versatile squad full of game-changing options at their disposal, Türkiye are fancied to grind out a hard-fought three points against Paraguay.
Türkiye‘s Last 5 Games: LWWWW
26-06-14 Australia 2-0 Türkiye
26-06-07 Venezuela 1-2 Türkiye
26-06-02 Türkiye 4-0 North Macedonia
26-04-01 Kosovo 0-1 Türkiye
26-03-27 Türkiye 1-0 Romania
Paraguay‘s Last 5 Games: LWLWW
26-06-13 United States 4-1 Paraguay
26-06-06 Paraguay 4-0 Nicaragua
26-04-01 Morocco 2-1 Paraguay
26-03-28 Greece 0-1 Paraguay
25-11-19 Mexico 1-2 Paraguay
Head-to-Head Records
None
Prediction: Türkiye to win