Germany vs. Paraguay: Why both sides' contrasting flaws make this clash the World Cup's most fascinating last-32 tie

Germany's round-of-32 meeting with Paraguay at Gillette Stadium on Monday was never expected to headline the knockout stage, but the contrasting weaknesses of these two sides make it a far more compelling contest than the 31 places separating them in the FIFA rankings would suggest.

Julian Nagelsmann's men arrive still searching for answers to their defensive vulnerability, while Gustavo Alfaro's side have reached the knockout rounds despite carrying one of the bluntest attacks left in the tournament.

Die Mannschaft secured top spot in Group E with six points from their opening two matches, but a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador after qualification had already been sealed exposed familiar defensive frailties, leaving them without a clean sheet in any of their three group games.

Paraguay, meanwhile, recovered from a heavy 4-1 defeat to co-hosts United States by edging past Turkey 1-0 before holding Australia to a goalless draw, squeezing into the last 32 as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.

With one side struggling to keep the ball out of their own net and the other finding goals increasingly difficult to come by, Sports Mole examines why this tie could prove far closer than many expect.

Germany's defensive record: Clean sheets are becoming a foreign concept

Germany entered the World Cup with one of Europe's most reliable defences after conceding just three goals in six qualifying matches and keeping four consecutive clean sheets.

That solidity has disappeared in recent months, though, with Nagelsmann's side now failing to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven outings, while Ecuador became the latest team to capitalise despite failing to score in either of their opening two group matches.

Although the defeat ended Germany's 11-match winning run, it also extended a worrying sequence that has seen them fail to record a shut-out in each of their last nine World Cup fixtures since beating Argentina in the 2014 final.

That said, Manuel Neuer's return from international retirement has added experience, but the veteran goalkeeper has yet to provide the reassurance Germany would have hoped for, having stopped just 42.9% of the shots on target he has faced at this tournament, the lowest save percentage of his five World Cup appearances.

Germany have also been weakened by the loss of Nico Schlotterbeck, whose tournament-ending medial ankle ligament injury leaves Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah expected to continue in central defence as Nagelsmann searches for a combination capable of ending their defensive slump.

Paraguay's attack: A bluntness that history backs up

Paraguay's attacking struggles are nothing new, having scored just 14 goals across 18 CONMEBOL qualifying matches, the fewest among the top seven in the section.

That lack of cutting edge has followed them into the World Cup, with Alfaro's side managing only two goals from five shots on target while producing just 2.33 expected goals across their three group matches.

One of those goals came from Matias Galarza's stunning long-range strike against Turkey, a moment of individual brilliance that did little to disguise how little Paraguay have created through sustained attacking play.

Los Guaranies have also failed to score more than once in any of their last six competitive matches, managing only six goals during that run.

Perhaps most tellingly, Paraguay have never scored in any of their five previous World Cup knockout matches, the longest goalless streak by any nation in the competition's knockout history.

Who holds the edge when it matters most?

Germany's pedigree at this stage remains difficult to ignore, with the four-time world champions winning eight of their last nine World Cup knockout matches and progressing from each of their previous five ties against South American opponents.

That record includes a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup, which remains the nations' only previous meeting at the tournament.

Los Guaranies, meanwhile, have lost all four of their previous World Cup knockout matches against European opposition without scoring a single goal, an unwanted record that only adds to the scale of their task.

Paraguay's hopes have also been dented by the suspension of Diego Gomez after two bookings in the group stage, depriving Alfaro of one of his most energetic midfielders at a time when containing Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala already represents one of the toughest assignments in international football.