Germany’s coach faces DER BOOT after early exit

Boss Julian Nagelsmann faces Der Boot after Germany were sent packing on penalties 4-3 after missing three kicks.

Despite dominating virtually the entire 120 minutes, Nagelsmann’s side only managed Kai Havertz’s equaliser soon after half-time.

The Arsenal man glanced in from Florian Wirtz to cancel out a first-period header from Brighton flop Julio Enciso.

Germany were furious after a contentious VAR decision chalked off a superb extra-time header from defender Jonathan Tah, the officials ruling Waldemar Anton had fouled keeper Orlando Gill.

But they could not prevent it going to the 12-yard lottery.

And while Germany had won all four previous World Cup including that 1990 semi-final against England in Turin, their luck finally ran out in the Gillette Stadium.

Havertz missed the first, far too close to Gill’s dive, before a shocker from Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade gave Paraguay TWO chances to win it.

Antonio Sanabria, a team-mate of Jamie Vardy at Cremonese, pulled wide from the first before Manuel Neuer plunged to his left to deny Fabian Balbuena.

But Tah then sent the sixth into orbit allowing Jose Canale to plunge the fatal dagger, picking out the top corner.

It was a devastating blow for Nagelsmann, who has come under huge pressure from the likes of German legends Lothar Matthaus and Philipp Lahm and ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

And this exit, in their first World Cup knock-out game since the 2014 final, will surely spell the end for the former Bayern boss,

Germany will feel they did not deserve their fate – but they could not really complain.

Despite dominating possession, Germany gave a staggering impression of a stumbling drunk falling about a bar.

Nagelsmann’s side failed to get a single shot on target in the first half and the German fans must have felt sicker than the proverbial parrot when the back line fell off its perch to gift Enciso his goal.

Neuer punched Miguel Almiron’s corner clear but the ball was recycled to the former Newcastle schemer.

He fed Matias Galarza’s overlapping run, and when the ball was pulled back, Enciso, who managed just five goals in three seasons at the Amex, could not believe his luck as he headed down and past the exposed keeper.

Paraguay skipper Gustavo Gomez was overcome with emotion after the final whistle. saying: “I think that what we are feeling right now is really hard to explain.

“I am really proud of my colleagues, of the team. We deserved one more game and to be honest.

“Germany knew it would be really hard for them.

“They knew we would fight not to be defeated. We dedicate this to all the people of Paraguay.”

World cup stats

RESULTS

Round of 32 : Canada 1-0 South Africa, Brazil 2-1 Japan, Germany 1(3)-1(4) Paraguay, Netherlands 1(2)-1 (3) Morocco.

Round 1: Mexico 2-0 South Africa, South Korea 2-1 Czechs, Canada 1-1 Bosnia, USA 4-1 Paraguay, Qatar 1-1 Switzerland, Brazil 1-1 Morocco, Haiti 0-1 Scotland, Australia 2-0 Turkey, Germany 7-1 Curacao, Netherlands 2-2 Japan, Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador, Sweden 5-1 Tunisia, Spain 0-0 Cape Verde, Belgium 1-1 Egypt, Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay, Iran 2-2 New Zealand, France 3-1 Senegal, Iraq 1-4 Norway, Argentina 3-0 Algeria, Austria 3-1 Jordan, Portugal 1-1 DR Congo, England 4-2 Croatia, Ghana 1-0 Panama, Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia.

Round 2: Czechia 1-1 South Africa, Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia, Canada 6-0 Qatar, Mexico 1-0 South Korea, USA 2-0 Australia, Scotland 0-1 Morocco, Brazil 3-0 Haiti, Turkey 0-1 Paraguay, Netherlands 5-1 Sweden, Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast, Ecuador 0-0 Curacao, Tunisia 0-4 Japan, Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia, Belgium 0-0 Iran, Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde, New Zealand 1-3 Egypt, Argentina 2-0 Austria, France 3-0 Iraq, Norway 3-2 Senegal, Jordan 1-2 Algeria, Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan, England 0-0 Ghana, Panama 0- Croatia, Colombia 1- DR Congo.

Round 3: Switzerland 2-1 Canada, Bosnia 3-1 Qatar, Morocco 4-2 Haiti, Scotland 0-3 Brazil, South Africa 1-0 South Korea, Czechia 0-3 Mexico, Ecuador 2-1 Germany, Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands, Japan 1-1 Sweden, Turkiye 3-2 USA, Paraguay 0-0 Australia, Norway 1-3 France, Senegal 5-0 Iraq, Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia, Uruguay 0-1 Spain, New Zealand 1-5 Belgium, Egypt 1-1 Iran, Panama 0-2 England, Croatia 2-1 Ghana, Colombia 0-0 Portugal, DR Congo 2-0 Uzbekistan, Algeria 3-3 Austria, Jordan 1-3 Argentina

FIXTURES

Round of 32

Today- 5am Ivory Coast v Norway, 9am France v Sweden, 1pm Mexico v Ecuador

Thursday- 4am England v DR Congo, 8am Belgium v Senegal, 12pm USA v Bosnia.

Friday-7am Spain v Austria, 11am Portugal v Croatia, 3pm Switzerland v Algeria

Saturday- 6am Australia v Egypt, 10am Argentina v Cape Verde, 1.30pm Colombia v Ghana

GOLDEN BOOT AWARD RACE

Name Goals Assists

Messi (Argentina) 6 0

Mbappe (France) 4 2

Dembele (France) 4 1

Vinicius (Brazil) 4 1

Halaand (Norway) 4 0