Paraguay head into the break with a surprise 1-0 lead over Germany after Julio Enciso’s towering header in the 42nd minute punished the Europeans against the run of play.
Germany dominated possession throughout the opening 45 minutes, controlling the tempo and spending long periods in Paraguay’s half.
However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side struggled to turn that dominance into meaningful opportunities, failing to register a shot on target until after falling behind.
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Paraguay remained disciplined defensively and capitalised on one of their few attacking moments, with Enciso rising highest to nod home and silence the German supporters.
Germany now face a huge second-half challenge.
Nagelsmann will need to inspire a much-improved display during the interval if his side are to overturn the deficit and keep their World Cup hopes alive.
