Australia and Paraguay played out a goalless draw to round off their group campaigns.

Australia finished as Group D runners-up, with Paraguay almost certainly advancing as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

Chances were few and far between throughout a cagey encounter, as both sides settled for a result that did them both favours.

We reflect on this game in our Scout Notes, which features match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

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AUSTRALIA 0-0 PARAGUAY

• Tackle bonus: Galarza
• Top points scorer: Gill (10)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• Australia made several significant changes to their starting XI. Lucas Herrington ($3.5m) replaced Cameron Burgess ($3.8m) at left centre-back, while Aziz Behich ($3.8m) came in for Jacob Italiano ($4.2m) at wing-back, with Behich switching to the left and Jordan Bos ($4.0m) moving across to the right.
• Tony Popovic also overhauled his entire front three. Nestory Irankunda ($5.1m), Cristian Volpato ($6.0m) and Connor Metcalfe ($5.3m) all came into the side after missing out on starts in Round 2. The biggest omission was Mohamed Touré ($5.0m), who dropped out after featuring in the previous match.
• Asked about the changes before kick-off, manager Tony Popovic said:

“Always considering all possibilities… every player that’s in our squad knows that he has a chance of playing.”

• Paraguay were without veteran Miguel Almirón ($6.0m), who served a suspension following his controversial red card in Round 2. Aside from that enforced change, manager Gustavo Alfaro switched to a 5-3-2 formation instead of his usual 4-4-2, seemingly to mirror Australia’s shape. Alexandro Maidana ($4.0m), normally used further forward, started at left wing-back, while Gustavo Velázquez ($3.8m) came into the back three. The only attacking change saw Gabriel Ávalos ($4.9m) return to the starting XI.
• Australia held the upper hand for much of the match. The Socceroos finished with 56% possession, five more attempts on goal and twice the xG (expected goals) of Paraguay. Despite that, neither side managed to create a single big chance. Clear-cut opportunities were at a premium throughout.
• Australia looked the more likely to score. Bos was one of their standout performers despite switching flanks. He tested the goalkeeper with an effort from distance before cutting inside onto his left foot, only to see another shot blocked. Later, Bos produced another driving run through the Paraguay defence but curled his effort narrowly wide.
• Irankunda struggled to make his mark during his 84 minutes on the pitch. He unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty after going down in the box, believing he had been fouled. His best chance came from close range, but he dragged his right-footed effort well wide.
• There was little action outside of a brief injury scare for Metcalfe. A heavy challenge left him bleeding, but after treatment from the medical staff, he recovered and completed the full 90 minutes.
• Paraguay offered even less in attack. Maurício Magalhães Prado ($4.6m), who scored in Round 1, came on at half-time and arguably provided more threat than the starting forwards. He managed a couple of efforts, although neither seriously troubled the goalkeeper.
• Julio Enciso ($6.6m) also endured a quiet afternoon. He worked himself into a good shooting position but fired straight at the goalkeeper. Moments later, he had another chance but sliced his effort wide.
• Paraguay did suffer a major setback, though. Omar Alderete ($4.1m) picked up a knee injury during the second half and required treatment on the pitch. Although he tried to continue, he was clearly struggling before eventually coming off. The Paraguayan Football Association has yet to release an official medical update. Speaking after the match, manager Gustavo Alfaro said:

“Alderete suffered a very heavy blow to his knee. We’re hoping it’s nothing serious.”

• Neither side looked particularly convincing going forward, but both kept two clean sheets during the group stage, highlighting their defensive resilience ahead of the Round of 32. Paraguay are set to face Germany on Monday, while Australia are currently projected to meet Belgium.
• From a World Cup Fantasy perspective, managers may prefer to target these teams rather than invest in them. That said, both have shown enough defensive organisation to suggest they won’t be easy opponents in the knockout stages.