Group D · Matchday 3

ParaguayvsAustralia

2026-06-25·19:00 localPredictions finalised

Snapshot · 2026-07-14Model 1.0.0Final prediction · locked 25 Jun, 23:02 UTCParaguay·Australia·Head-to-head →·
Full time · forecast gradedParaguay 0 0 AustraliaThe locked pre-match forecast has been graded against this result.See the calibration recap →

The forecast

Match-outcome probability

  • Paraguay win
    26.9%
  • Draw
    32.6%
  • Australia win
    40.5%

The model projects one of the most closely-contested fixtures of the round — Paraguay and Australia are separated by fine margins across every outcome.

Rank checkFIFA ranks Paraguay #39 in the world; the model ranks them #24 in this tournament field, 15 places higher than the FIFA list suggests. All 48 compared →
Likeliest score0–020.8%
First goal0-15'23.5%
Both teams score31.3%
Over 2.5 goals21.9%
Top scorerSanabria9.4%
Expected goals0.8 - 0.8
Loading pitch visualisation...

Why the model says this

Favoring Paraguay

  • ·Paraguay holds a 50-point Elo rating advantage over Australia, contributing to the model's Elo component favouring a home win at 46.2%.
  • ·The stacking model component gives Paraguay the highest probability of victory at 36.9%.
  • ·Paraguay exhibits a high-pressing style, with a PPDA in the 93.8 percentile, suggesting they can disrupt opposition build-up.

Favoring Australia

  • ·Australia is ranked significantly higher in FIFA rankings at 26th, compared to Paraguay's 39th.
  • ·Australia has a strong historical record against Paraguay, remaining unbeaten in 5 previous encounters with 2 wins and 3 draws.
  • ·Australia's expected goals (xG) for the match are slightly higher at 0.88 compared to Paraguay's 0.77.
  • ·The historical performance (HP) model component gives Australia the highest probability of victory at 36.1%.

What the model can't fully price

  • ·The model does not fully account for squad availability, with 3 players carrying fitness doubts across both teams, 2 of whom are projected starters.

Form check

Paraguay

Steady

Paraguay's recent form is inconsistent, with two wins, one draw, and three losses in their last six matches. They have struggled to maintain winning streaks, alternating between victories and defeats.

2 wins in their last 6 matches

Australia

Improving

Australia's form has shown recent improvement, securing wins in their last two outings. Prior to this, they experienced a challenging period with three consecutive losses, but have now recorded three wins in their last six fixtures.

Won their last 2 matches

Analysis

How it plays out

Paraguay's balanced setup will need to hold shape against Australia's direct transition game. The risk for Paraguay: getting caught between attacking and defending. Paraguay's aggressive press (PPDA 14.2) against Australia's deeper build-up (PPDA 37.0) creates a clear territory question: can Paraguay force errors high up, or will Australia play through the press and find space behind it?

What decides it

Australia will concede possession willingly and attack in transition. Their defensive block needs to hold without fouling in dangerous areas. Antonio Sanabria carries the marginally higher scoring probability (9.4% vs 5.3%).

Off the pitch

No major off-pitch asymmetries. This one is decided by the football.

The angle

A Group D fixture where the result matters more for the standings than the headlines.

Goals & scorelines

Likeliest score 0–0 (20.8%) · xG 0.8 - 0.8

Expected goals

Paraguay
0.77
Australia
0.84

Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.

Most likely scorelines

  • 0–0
    20.8%
  • 0–1
    16.1%
  • 1–0
    14.5%
  • 1–1
    13.7%
  • 0–2
    7.1%

From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.

Most likely half-time scorelines

  • 0–0
    45.1%
  • 0–1
    18.4%
  • 1–0
    16.7%
  • 1–1
    7.7%
  • 0–2
    4.0%

Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.

Goal totals

  • More than 0.5 goals
    79.2%
  • More than 1.5 goals
    48.6%
  • More than 2.5 goals
    21.9%
  • More than 3.5 goals
    8.0%
  • More than 4.5 goals
    2.4%
  • More than 5.5 goals
    0.6%
  • Both teams score
    31.3%

Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.

Event-typed probabilities

  • Paraguay clean sheetOpposing team scores zero42.9%
  • Australia clean sheetOpposing team scores zero46.5%

Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.

Win-margin probability

  • Paraguay by 4+
    0.4%
  • Paraguay by 3+
    2.1%
  • Paraguay by 2+
    9.3%
  • Paraguay by 1+
    29.3%
  • Draw
    36.7%
  • Australia by 1+
    33.9%
  • Australia by 2+
    11.7%
  • Australia by 3+
    2.9%
  • Australia by 4+
    0.6%

Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.

How the match unfolds

Over 2.5 goals 21.9% · BTTS 31.3%

Game state through the match

0%25%50%75%100%0'15'30'45'60'75'90'
  • Paraguay ahead30.1%
  • Level35.1%
  • Australia ahead34.7%

Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.

When the first goal arrives

  • 0–15
    23.5%
  • 15–30
    18.0%
  • 30–45
    13.8%
  • 45–60
    10.5%
  • 60–75
    8.0%
  • 75–90
    6.2%
  • No goal
    20.0%

Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.

Half-time / full-time grid

Joint probability of half-time and full-time results
HT ↓ / FT →HParaguay winDDrawAAustralia win
HParaguay ahead17.3%3.9%0.9%
DLevel11.9%27.7%13.5%
AAustralia ahead0.8%3.9%20.2%

Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.

Comeback probability

  • Paraguay trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    4.7%
  • Australia trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    4.8%

Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.

Cards

  • Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
  • Total yellows over 2.567.0%
  • Total yellows over 3.545.3%
  • Total yellows over 4.526.5%
  • Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%

Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.

Teams & players

Top scorer: Sanabria (9.4%)

Match detail

Paraguay

Model-rated key players: Antonio Sanabria (FW) — P(scores) 9.4%; Julio Enciso (FW) — P(scores) 8.6%; Óscar Romero (FW) — P(scores) 7.6%.

How they play

Paraguay under Gustavo Alfaro play a balanced game with 48% possession. They press intensely (PPDA 14.2, top quartile (3rd of 40)) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.7 passes per attack. They generate a high volume of shots (13.4 per 90).

What they must execute

Paraguay will need to leverage their strengths while managing the physical demands of a tournament spread across three host countries.

Storylines
Model bold: Model rates them #22 by tournament-winner probability — 17 places higher than FIFA #39.
Teen starter: Diego León19 at kickoff — 1 caps — projected on the bench, the squad's youngest pick.
Local-league core: Only 3 of 26 predicted-squad players played in a top-5 European league last season — the rest play home or in non-top-5 leagues.

Australia

Model-rated key players: Brandon Borrello (FW) — P(scores) 3.8%; Mitch Duke (FW) — P(scores) 3.1%; Martin Boyle (FW) — P(scores) 2.8%.

How they play

Australia under Tony Popovic play a transition heavy game, with just 44% possession — among the lowest in the field. Their likely shape is a 4-4-2, though they have also used 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. They sit deeper and pick their moments to press (PPDA 37.0). They are selective in their shooting (8.0 per 90).

What they must execute

Australia rely on defensive discipline and quick transitions — absorbing pressure and converting turnovers into attacking chances. Concentration and defensive organisation for full 90-minute stretches will determine whether the approach holds against top opposition.

Storylines
Teen starter: Nestory Irankunda20 at kickoff — 13 caps.
Form trend: Gained 58 international Elo points over the last 12 months — current rating 1905.
Minutes load: XI averaged only 249 club minutes in 2024-25 — #43 of 43 in the field. Light pre-tournament prep on the starting eleven.
Set-piece outlook

Paraguay historically converts 4.8% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.04 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Combined, the model expects 0.04 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.

  • P(Paraguay scores set-piece goal) 3.6%
  • P(set-piece goal in match) 3.6%

Paraguay: Óscar Romero on free kicks (per fbref 2017 18) · Australia: Ajdin Hrustić on free kicks (per fbref 2022 23)

Penalty outlook

If a penalty is awarded to Paraguay, the model gives 72.5% conversion, 71.4% for Australia.

Paraguay primary PK: Antonio Sanabria (1/2 in 2018-19, per fbref 2017 18).

Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.

Tactical forecast

Paraguaybalanced
PPDA
14.2
Possession
48%
Directness (yds/pass)
7.3
Long balls/90
33
Set-piece xG
5%
Australiatransition-heavy
PPDA
37.0
Possession
44%
Directness (yds/pass)
7.2
Long balls/90
46
Set-piece xG

Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.

Squad depth

Most irreplaceable starters

Paraguay

  1. Omar AldereteCentre-backCover: Gustavo Velázquez · 0.410.38gap
  2. Júnior AlonsoCentre-backCover: Gustavo Velázquez · 0.410.37gap
  3. Miguel AlmirónWingerNo natural backup0.35gap

Australia

  1. Mathew RyanGoalkeeperCover: Paul Izzo · 0.330.56gap
  2. Nestory IrankundaWingerCover: Nishan Velupillay · 0.090.36gap
  3. Connor MetcalfeCentral midfieldCover: Patrick Yazbek · 0.420.33gap

Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →

Match conditions

  • AltitudeNear sea level4 m
  • Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window19.6 °C
  • Avg humidity62%
  • Heat stressShade WBGT ~20.6 °CLow heat stress
  • Pitch surfacenatural grass

Natural-grass NFL stadium; FIFA-standard hybrid pitch for the tournament.

Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.

Top scorers · P(scores in this match)

Paraguay
Australia

Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.

Recent match form

Last match player ratings

Paraguay

vs Germany · avg 8.0

9
GillGK
ATK
DEF
PAS
8
GalarzaST
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Canale
ATK
DEF
PAS

Worked well: They scored an early goal from a corner and their goalkeeper delivered a strong performance, making key stops. Their penalty takers showed composure.

Struggled: They conceded an equalizer and faced sustained pressure from Germany, particularly in extra time, indicating some defensive vulnerabilities.

Australia

vs Egypt · avg 6.2

8
Patrick BeachGK
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Cristian VolpatoAM
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Harry SouttarCB
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Jackson IrvineCM
ATK
DEF
PAS
6
Jordan BosRB
ATK
DEF
PAS
6
Aziz BehichLB
ATK
DEF
PAS
6
Nestory IrankundaRW
ATK
DEF
PAS
6
Awer MabilLW
ATK
DEF
PAS
3
Lucas HerringtonCB
ATK
DEF
PAS

Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →

Video analysis: player performance

Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.

Paraguay
8
Matías Galarza22'–22'

Scored the opening goal for Paraguay from a corner kick, providing a crucial lead.

1goals1headers

Match timeline

22'Galarza scores for Paraguay with a header from a corner kick.
22'Galarza scores for Paraguay with a header from a corner kick.
8
Canale

Converted the decisive penalty kick to secure Paraguay's victory in the shootout.

8
Miguel Almirón

Delivered the crucial corner kick that directly resulted in Paraguay's first goal.

7
Ancisio

Registered a shot on target, testing the Australian goalkeeper.

7
Álex Arce

Generated a strong scoring chance that required a good save from the opponent's goalkeeper.

7
VOLPATO

Demonstrated individual skill with multiple attacking movements and shots on target.

6
Mauricio

Showed willingness to create opportunities by attempting a shot from distance.

5
Gustavo Gómez

Committed a foul early in the match, which could have led to a dangerous set-piece.

Australia
8
Gill101'–101'

Made several critical saves in extra time, keeping his team in the match and preventing further goals.

1saves

Match timeline

101'Gill makes a great save from Havertz's header.
8
Hill

Made several crucial saves throughout the match, maintaining his team's competitive position.

7
Jordan Bos

Demonstrated attacking intent with a shot on target and drew a foul in a dangerous area.

7
Valpato

Made an effective overlapping run and registered a shot on goal, contributing to the team's attack.

7
B. GOMEZ

Demonstrated individual skill with a dribbling move and registered a shot on target from a dangerous position.

6
Ajdin Hrustić

Attempted a shot on goal, indicating an effort to contribute offensively.

Match observations

  • The match was a hard-fought encounter with both teams creating scoring opportunities.
  • Australia's goalkeeper, Hill, was particularly busy, making several key saves to deny Paraguay.
  • Despite numerous attempts from both sides, neither team managed to find the back of the net, resulting in a goalless draw.

Under the hood

Model-by-model comparison

Paraguay vs Australia

High disagreement (16.4%)
ModelWeightHomeDrawAway
EloRating-based strength estimate32%
45.0%
22.0%
33.0%
Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction63%
28.6%
36.1%
35.3%
Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling6%
31.4%
34.5%
34.1%
Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination
33.3%
36.3%
30.5%
Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration
31.3%
34.3%
34.4%
Home spread: 16.4%
Draw spread: 14.1%
Away spread: 2.3%
How each model works
Elo
Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
Dixon-Coles
A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
Hierarchical Poisson
A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
Bayesian stacking
Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
Ensemble (published)
Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.

Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology

Probability decomposition (transparency surface)

  • Baseline ensemble — P(Paraguay win)33.5%
  • + Lineup contribution0.0pp
  • + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
  • Published P(Paraguay win)33.5%
Paraguay
33.5%
Draw
29.7%
Australia
36.8%

Decomposition of the published P(Paraguay win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.

For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.

Head-to-head history

DateCompetitionVenueScoreResultxG
9 Oct 2010FriendlyASydney01L
7 Oct 2006FriendlyABrisbane11D
15 Jun 2000FriendlyAMelbourne12L
12 Jun 2000FriendlyABrisbane00D
9 Jun 2000FriendlyASydney00D

Paraguay vs Australia, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Paraguay's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).

Latest news & match context

Team news

No recent headlines for Paraguay or Australia.

Match conditions
Stage:
Group D · Matchday 3
Date:
25 Jun
Availability

Paraguay

Paraguay come in at close to full strength.

Australia

Australia come in at close to full strength.

What it means

Paraguay and Australia both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.

Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.

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