Paraguay vs Australia

Paraguay enter this decisive Group D finale reeling from a heavy defeat and without their suspended talisman Miguel Almirón, robbing them of their primary creative spark. Australia have shown resilience, rebounding from an opening loss to claim a clean-sheet victory, and their young, dynamic forward line led by Nestory Irankunda looks capable of exploiting a Paraguayan defense that has shipped four goals in two matches. Despite having no prior meetings to draw upon, the contrasting underlying numbers — with Australia generating nearly double Paraguay's expected goals per game — suggest the Socceroos carry a slight edge in attacking fluidity. The key battle will be whether Julio Enciso can step up in Almirón's absence to unlock an organized Australian backline, but a tense, attritional contest appears likely with both sides fighting to avoid early elimination.