Four-time champions Germany are out of the FIFA World Cup Finals after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the Last 32 tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Germans had an extra-time goal disallowed by VAR and lost out 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The defeat continued their dismal performance at the stage since lifting the Cup in 2014. It was also the first time that Germany have ever lost a penalty shootout at a FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julio Enciso headed Paraguay into a shock lead before half-time, but Kai Havertz levelled for Germany on 54 minutes with his third goal of the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonathan Tah saw a goal disallowed after a VAR review in extra time, before Paraguay held on to shock Germany in a wild, nerve-jangling shootout as the momentum swung back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill saved from Havertz and Nick Woltemade, but his teammates blew two chances to win it before Jose Canale blasted in the winning spot-kick after Tah had blazed his effort over the bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay celebrated arguably their greatest win at the tournament, but they face the daunting prospect of running into an in-form France next should Les Bleus beat Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julian Nagelsmann handed Deniz Undav his first start of the tournament, after the Stuttgart striker scored three times in the opening two games as a substitute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He came in for Jamal Musiala as Nathaniel Brown returned at left-back, having missed the Ecuador loss as a precaution due to a minor injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miguel Almiron was recalled by Paraguay following a one-match ban after becoming the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation under new FIFA rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro had urged his players to grasp the opportunity of a lifetime, and they came close to scoring barely a minute into the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Junior Alonso found space at the back post from a corner but was unable to beat Manuel Neuer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Undav then floated an effort wide as Germany struggled to break down a compact Paraguay defence, and they paid the price when they lost their shape before half-time, allowing Enciso to head home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay recycled possession after Neuer punched clear a corner, working it out wide on the right for Matias Galarza to fizz in a cross that picked out a completely unmarked Enciso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remarkably, it was Paraguay’s first goal in the World Cup knockout stage, having failed to score in their previous five matches, including a 1-0 defeat by Germany in the last 16 in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Germany, toothless in the first half, brought Leon Goretzka on at the break but almost conceded again when an under-hit backpass from Joshua Kimmich forced Neuer to race out and stop Enciso doubling the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, they at last breached Paraguay’s dogged rearguard when Florian Wirtz cut in from the left and delivered a cross that Havertz glanced into the far corner to ease Germany’s nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay lost Enciso to injury, and with it their main outlet, leading to a growing sense of inevitability that Germany’s pressure would eventually tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Orlando Gill reacted sharply to claw away Havertz’s header from another Wirtz cross and Paraguay bravely clung on to send the match into extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tah thought he had put Germany in front with a powerful back-post header from Nathaniel Brown’s looping corner, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for a foul by Waldemar Anton on the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anton headed straight at Gill from another corner, but Paraguay withstood Germany’s set-piece barrage and then kept their cool to spring a monumental FIFA World Cup upset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Four-time champions Germany are out of the FIFA World Cup Finals after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[430],"tags":[276,63],"class_list":["post-14339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-fifa","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t