Türkiye predicted lineup vs Paraguay for FIFA World Cup 2026

Türkiye and Paraguay will face each other for the first time in a competitive game at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Türkiye will face Paraguay in their second game of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Group D game will be played at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Friday, June 19.

Both teams suffered disappointing defeats in their opening games; thus, this upcoming game becomes a must-win for their survival in the summer tournament. Türkiye lost 2-0 to Australia in their first game in Vancouver.

Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe scored memorable goals to help the Socceroos get a winning start. While proving that the Aussies have a strong attack, the two goals also revealed major lapses in the Turkish defence.

Vincenzo Montella’s side fired 30 shots, compared to nine for Australia, but they only narrowly edged the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.33 to 0.77. While the Crescent Stars’ defence struggled, Australia’s back line flourished, as Patrick Beach, who made his World Cup debut, made eight fantastic saves to keep a clean sheet.

Meanwhile, Ugurcan Cakir made two saves and conceded two goals. Türkiye made a few hopeful long-range attempts, and they were also only from Arda Guler and Ferdi Kadioglu. The Turkish side also struggled with clinical finishing. There are many fixes the Crescent Stars would need to make before they face Australia.

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Türkiye’s team news ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash against Paraguay

Kenan Yildiz, who was on the bench for the first half against Australia, is likely to start the game, as he had the most touches in the opposition box. The Juventus attacker is likely to complete his recovery from a calf issue that kept him out of the last game.

However, he could probably get to feature in a cameo if Vincenzo Montella decides to field Arda Guler, Baris Alper Yilmaz and Orkun Kokcu in the attack, only behind the frontman, who would be either Kerem Akturkoglu or Deniz Gul.

Hakan Calhanoglu will keep the captain’s armband while taking care of set pieces. Alongside Calhanoglu, full-back Ferdi Kadioglu, who created five chances against Australia, is also expected to play an advanced role on the left flank.

Other than a few changes in the front line, Vincenzo Montella is likely to keep the remainder of his playing XI the same as the last game.

Türkiye’s predicted XI against Paraguay

Türkiye Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Guler, Kokcu, Yilmaz; Akturkoglu

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