Turkey have won seven of their last nine matches
Paraguay have lost four of their last seven fixtures
Recommended bet: Turkey to win at 10/11 with LiveScore Bet
Turkey arrived at the World Cup with plenty of admirers but they have their backs against the wall as they prepare to take on Paraguay in a crucial contest at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
After landing what appeared to be a favourable draw, Turkey had set their sights on a long run in the tournament.
But they were given a massive wake-up call by Australia, who hit the front with Nestory Irankunda’s breakaway goal and went on to seal a shock 2-0 victory.
It was less of a surprise to see Paraguay fall to defeat in their opener against the USA.
The South Americans had been defensively strong during qualifying but they succumbed to a 4-1 loss against the co-hosts, who were richly rewarded for a front-foot performance.
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Team news
There are no reported Turkish injuries but head coach Vincenzo Montella may be tempted to make a few tactical changes.
Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz was a half-time substitute in the loss against Australia and may be in line for his first start of the tournament.
Julio Enciso suffered an injury in the warm up match against Nicaragua but recovered in time to start Paraguay’s loss to the USA.
Gustavo Caballero (groin) was an unused substitute in the opening game but Ramon Sosa (ankle) came off the bench and could be pushing for a start.
The stats
Both teams have scored in four of Paraguay’s last six games.
Paraguay have kept just two clean sheets in their last eight fixtures.
Four of Turkey’s last five matches have generated fewer than four goals.
The Turks have won three of their last five fixtures without conceding a goal.
Turkey have started the scoring in six of their last nine matches.
See the latest Turkey vs Paraguay odds on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Turkey were dealt a harsh reality check by Australia in their World Cup opener, but they have enough time to recover and can start the process by defeating Paraguay in a high stakes encounter.
The heat is on for the Crescent-Stars, who impressed with a run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and had high hopes of making an impression this summer.
But Montella’s side played some decent football against Australia – winning the shot count 30 to nine – and they are capable of rediscovering the defensive solidity which underpinned victories at home to Romania (1-0) and away to Kosovo (1-0) in the qualification play-offs.
Paraguay’s defeat to the USA was more of a disappointment due to the one-sided nature of the game.
The White and Red had no answer to Mauricio Pochettino’s free-flowing side and they could be pushed to the brink of elimination by Turkey, who have the ability to move on from their difficult opening experience.
Score prediction: Turkey 2-0 Paraguay
