Paraguay 1-0 Turkey: 10-Man Paraguay Stun Turkey to Reach Brink of World Cup Qualification

Paraguay 1-0 Turkey: Ten-Man Paraguay Stun Turkey

Paraguay upset Turkey with a 1-0 victory despite playing the entire second half with 10 men.

Matías Galarza put Paraguay ahead in the second minute with a left-footed effort from outside the box. Miguel Almirón was dismissed just before half-time for covering his mouth while speaking during a scuffle between the two teams.

Turkey dominated possession and peppered the Paraguay goal with shots throughout the contest but ultimately failed to convert any of their opportunities.

A second consecutive defeat for Turkey means they can no longer progress to the Round of 32 and become just the second team to be eliminated from the tournament.

It took Paraguay just 65 seconds to take the lead, with Galarza’s long-range effort beating Çakır and finding the bottom-right corner.

From that moment onwards, Paraguay were content to defend deep and counter whenever opportunities arose.

Turkey dominated possession but had achieved little more than circulating the ball by the time of the first hydration break.

In the 35th minute, Çalhanoğlu floated a free-kick into the penalty area from the right-hand side, and a header from Müldür rattled the post. Gill could only stand and watch as the effort bounced back off the woodwork.

Two minutes later, Paraguay caught Turkey overexposed and a low-driven effort from Cáceres forced a save from Çakır.

Tempers flared in the 46th minute after a challenge left Pitta on the ground, sparking anger from both teams. During the ensuing confrontation, Miguel Almirón covered his mouth while speaking to Müldür and was shown a straight red card under the tournament’s newly introduced regulations.

Both benches became involved as tensions escalated, and the confrontation continued as the teams headed towards the tunnel. The Paraguay contingent appeared particularly frustrated by what they viewed as Turkey’s attempts to influence the decision. At half-time, Paraguay led 1-0 but were reduced to 10 men.

Turkey signalled their intentions immediately after the restart when Demiral fired an effort from 30 yards in the 47th minute, but Gill gathered comfortably.

A minute later, Yıldız attacked down the left flank and drove an effort into the side netting.

Just before the hour mark, Demiral struck from outside the penalty area, with Alderete inadvertently deflecting the effort towards Gill, who reacted quickly to collect.

Two minutes later, Julio Enciso weaved past several Turkish defenders inside the box but squandered the opportunity, dragging his effort wide of the far post.

Turkey increased the pressure as the game wore on, delivering a constant stream of crosses and long-range efforts into the Paraguay penalty area.

In the 85th minute, Turkey had a golden opportunity when a dangerous ball flashed across the six-yard box towards Arda Güler, but he failed to make contact.

Five minutes later, Denis Yılmaz’s effort from the centre of the area was saved by Gill, before Uzun wasted the rebound.

Then, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Demiral squandered Turkey’s final opportunity, sending a header narrowly wide of the post.

Despite registering 32 shots, Turkey’s finishing was severely lacking and has ultimately sent them crashing out of the competition. Across their opening two matches, they attempted a combined 62 shots but failed to score a single goal a hugely disappointing return for a side many expected to challenge for top spot in the group.

The victory means Paraguay can secure automatic qualification with a win over Australia on Friday. A draw may also prove sufficient to see them progress as one of the best third-placed teams.

Line-ups

Turkey (4-2-3-1)

Çakır; Müldür, Demiral, Bardakcı, Kadıoğlu; Yüksek, Çalhanoğlu; Akgün, Güler, Yıldız; Aktürkoğlu.

Paraguay (4-4-2)

Gill; Cáceres, Gómez, Alderete, Alonso; Gómez, Cubas, Galarza, Almirón; Enciso, Pitta.