Arsenal striker Kai Havertz equalized for Germany with a stunning header past the Paraguayan goalkeeper.
As Germany looked for a decisive breakthrough to stabilize their rhythm, the all-or-nothing moment came in the 54th minute, cutting through Paraguay’s solid defence.
Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz delivered a beautifully weighted, pinpoint cross deep into the penalty area.
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The highest-rising Arsenal forward headed into the far corner, completely beating the outstretched arm of the Paraguayan shot-stopper and forcing Germany into the tie.
See the goals below.
Germany wasn’t very convincing in this World Cup.
Havertz’s equalizing goal brought a huge sigh of relief to Julian Nagelsmann on the sideline, but it did little to mask the serious problems plaguing the four-time world champions.
Germany entered the tournament with high expectations, but have struggled mightily to demonstrate their usual soccer superiority on the world stage.
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Aside from an explosive opening win, Nagelsmann’s team lacked cohesion, defensive stability and tactical fluidity.
A shock defeat to Ecuador in the group stage exposed serious vulnerabilities in the face of attacking and transitional counter-attacks, while the star-studded attacking trident of Havertz, Wirtz and Jamal Musiala has come under scrutiny for failing to consistently reproduce their stellar club form.
The match will go into extra time, but the pressure remains on Germany to prove they can firmly establish themselves as genuine title contenders.
