Preview: Greece vs Paraguay – prediction, team news, lineups

Greece welcome Paraguay to Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki on Friday evening for a world pleasant contest. 

The match will function one of many guests’ preparation fixtures forward of the World Cup, which the hosts disappointingly did not qualify for. 

Match preview

Friday’s contest can be Greece’s first again in motion since disappointingly failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

After making an initially robust begin in UEFA qualifying Group C, beating Belarus 5-1, only one win, one draw and three losses of their subsequent 4 video games meant they completed third within the standings. 

As a consequence, Greece have now been unable to qualify for the three consecutive World Cups, since their elimination from the spherical of 16 within the 2014 event. 

Ivan Jovanovic can be hoping his facet can bounce again from that disappointment with constructive performances of their upcoming friendlies towards Paraguay and Hungary, forward of the beginning of their UEFA Nations League marketing campaign in September. 

Greece will face a Paraguay facet who, in distinction to the hosts, are set to finish their hiatus from the World Cup stage on the 2026 event. 

© Imago

Paraguay loved a improbable CONMEBOL qualifying marketing campaign, profitable seven, drawing seven and shedding simply 4 of their 18 matches to complete sixth within the desk, securing computerized qualification to the summer time competitors.

Gustavo Alfaro‘s facet, who have been drawn alongside hosts USA, Australia and the winner of UEFA playoff path C in Group D, will now seem within the competitors for the primary time since shedding within the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. 

Paraguay’s preparations for the event began in October 2025, drawing 2-2 with Japan earlier than losses to South Korea (2-0) and USA (2-1). 

Paraguay managed to finish that streak with a 2-1 victory towards Mexico of their final pleasant fixture, and Alfaro’s team can be trying to construct momentum from that win heading into the summer time’s event. 

The guests will draw confidence from the final time these two sides met, having defeated Greece 2-0 again in June 2010.

Greece type (all competitions):

W L L L W D

Paraguay type (all competitions):

D W D L L W

Team News

© Imago

Christos Tzolis was Greece’s prime scorer of their World Cup qualifying marketing campaign, and the ahead is anticipated to begin on Friday, whereas teenage sensation Konstantinos Karetsas might begin on the other flank.

Further again, a defensive 4 of Lazaros Rota, Panagiotis Retsos, Pantelis Hatzidiakos and Konstantinos Tsimikas ought to characteristic forward of Odysseas Vlachodimos in objective.

Meanwhile, Paraguay named a number of contemporary additions to their squad for his or her upcoming friendlies, together with Mauricio Magalhaes, Gaston Olveira, Alexandro Maidana and Gustavo Caballero. 

Antonio Sanabria and Damian Bobadilla scored in Paraguay’s 2-1 win towards Mexico final trip, and the pair might each begin towards Greece.

Greece potential beginning lineup:

Vlachodimos; Rota, Retsos, Hatzidiakos, Tsimikas; Zafeiris, Triantis; Karetsas, Masouras, Tzolis; Pavlidis

Paraguay potential beginning lineup:

Gill; Benitez, Velazquez, Balbuena, Alderete; Ojeda, Galarza; Sosa, Bobadilla, Almiron; Sanabria

We say: Greece 2-2 Paraguay

Greece can be wanting to bounce again from the frustration of failing to qualify for the World Cup, whereas Paraguay need to construct momentum forward of their look, main us to anticipate a tough-fought stalemate.

For information evaluation of the most probably outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.