Turkey face Paraguay in a must-win World Cup group clash and neither side can afford another slip after opening losses. Both teams sit pointless in Group D following defeats on matchday one, so the stakes at Levi's Stadium could hardly be higher.
Turkey arrive with the stronger recent record. They lost to Australia but bounced back with wins over Venezuela and North Macedonia before grinding out narrow victories in World Cup qualifying against Romania and Kosovo. Paraguay's form looks patchier with just one win in their last four outings and a heavy defeat to the USA still fresh.
The head-to-head offers little insight. These sides met only once at senior level back in 1995 and played out a goalless draw. Expect a more open contest this time around given the qualification pressure.
No injury or suspension concerns cloud either camp which should allow both coaches to pick from full-strength squads. Predicted lineups are circulating but nothing is locked in until closer to kickoff.
Turkey's attacking threat centers on Kerem Aktürkoğlu who topped their qualifying scoring charts and Arda Güler pulling the strings in midfield. Paraguay will look to Antonio Sanabria for goals after he found the net against the USA while Miguel Almirón offers width and penetration from the flanks.
Both teams need three points to stay alive for the knockout stages. Turkey have shown more consistency lately and should edge this one but Paraguay are capable of springing a surprise if they can keep things tight early on.
Recommended Bets
Turkey to win @2.10 — stronger recent results and better squad depth after their MD1 setback
Over 2.5 goals @1.90 — both sides trail in the group and will push forward from the start
Turkey -0.5 Asian handicap @2.00 — they have won four of their last five matches overall
Odds tend to shorten closer to kickoff — lock in value now.
