Germany begin knockout quest against Paraguay

Germany have kicked off their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 campaign against Paraguay, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann making a bold selection by handing Deniz Undav his first World Cup start.

The knockout clash is being played at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts, USA.

The biggest surprise in Germany's starting XI is the inclusion of Undav, who has impressed throughout the tournament with three goals and two assists. His promotion to the starting lineup comes at the expense of Jamal Musiala, who begins the match on the bench.

Germany advanced to the knockout stage as Group E winners after an unbeaten group campaign, while Paraguay secured a place in the last 32 as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.

Germany XI: Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rudiger, Nathaniel Brown, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leroy Sane, Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, Deniz Undav.

Paraguay XI: Orlando Gill, Juan Caceres, Gustavo Gomez, Jose Canale, Junior Alonso, Adrian Cubas, Miguel Almiron, Damian Bobadilla, Matias Galarza, Julio Enciso, Gabriel Avalos.