Niclas Fullkrug believes Germany have already shown they are capable of winning Euro 2024 ahead of their last-16 tie with Denmark on Saturday. 

Julian Nagelsmann's side concluded their Group A campaign with a draw against Switzerland, with Borussia Dortmund forward Fullkrug striking late on to secure top spot. 

Germany thumped Scotland 5-1 in the opening game of the tournament before beating Hungary 2-0 in Stuttgart. 

And Fullkrug is confident the hosts have demonstrated title-winning levels.

"If you want to become European champions you have to beat the really good [teams]," Fullkrug said. 

"I think we've already shown what we are capable of in this tournament."

Germany head coach Nagelsmann was able to sit back and watch the action for the remainder of the week but was in no mood for sympathy for having extra days to prepare for their knockout stage fixture compared to Denmark.

"We have two more days to prepare, maybe the opponent is not that happy about that," Nagelsmann said.

"But one of those four only has to prepare for one team, we have to prepare for four, so it's kind of fair. May the best team win on Saturday."

 

Preparations for Denmark begin #DFB #GermanFootball #GermanMNT #EURO2024

DFB/ Philipp Reinhard pic.twitter.com/nzMO7piEEj

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 26, 2024

Denmark have only won three of their last 15 matches at major tournaments, drawing seven and losing five.

They are winless in their last seven such games (D4 L3), drawing all three of their games in Group C.

Kasper Hjulmand has a plan for how Denmark can derail the host's dreams of claiming a fourth European crown. 

"We have to close down the central space, at the same time as we have to play football," Hjulmand said.

"Germany are one of the hardest-pressing teams at the Euros, they win the ball back very quickly, so it's important that we can play the ball around in there."

And Yussuf Poulsen thinks Denmark can take confidence from Switzerland's display against Germany. 

"We are a very good team, we defend very well and have good attackers who can hurt the Germans, I am sure," Poulsen said.

"We have played against each other before and it was an even game. Of course, we also saw how Switzerland did it and we see ourselves as a similar team to Switzerland."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Germany – Niclas Fullkrug

Although he may not start the game in Dortmund, Nagelsmann has a dangerous weapon in his armoury in the shape of Fullkrug. 

Fullkrug has scored four goals in six major tournament appearances for Germany, with all those coming as a substitute.

Among all European players to play at least 100 minutes at the World Cup and Euros combined, only Ernst Wilimowski (one every 30 mins) has a better minutes per goal ratio than Fullkrug (one every 35 mins).

 

Denmark – Christian Eriksen

Eriksen has often been the diamond in the crown of Denmark's midfield, but this could be the midfielder's most influential tournament to date.

In the group stage, he was directly involved in 23 of Denmark's 42 shots, attempting 10 and teeing up a further 13.

He is the first Denmark player to register both 10+ shots and 10+ chances created at a single edition of a major tournament. If the Danes are to upset the odds, Eriksen will likely be crucial.

MATCH PREDICTION: GERMANY WIN

This encounter will be the fifth meeting between Germany and Denmark at a major tournament.

Germany will take comfort from Denmark's record against the host nation of a European Championship, with the Danes losing all five of their previous meetings, including against the Germans themselves in the 1988 group stage. 

However, Germany's record at this stage of the Euros has not been impressive of late. Having reached the knockout stage for a fifth consecutive time, Die Mannschaft's last two such matches have both ended in 2-0 defeats, to France at Euro 2016 and England at Euro 2020. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Germany - 57.9%

Draw - 23.3%

Denmark - 18.8%

India reached the T20 World Cup final in style as they hammered defending champions England by 68 runs on Thursday.

In a rain-delayed semi-final clash at Guayana National Stadium, an England batting collapse, combined with lethal bowling from Kuldeep Yadav (3-19), Axar Patel (3-23) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-13) ensured tournament favourites India will face South Africa in the showpiece match on Saturday.

Captain Rohit Sharma struck 57 and Suryakumar Yadav plundered 47 as India put on 171-7 from their 20 overs.

England's chase started brightly as skipper Jos Buttler reeled off a series of fours in swift succession, yet his stand lasted just 15 deliveries.

And from losing Buttler with the 19th ball of their innings, England's top order capitulated, with Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran all following their captain in heading for the pavilion within seven overs.

Harry Brook offered more resistance with a spirited 25, but the damage was already done by the time he was sent packing in the 11th over.

Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid were run out in the space of three deliveries, and though Jofra Archer rallied with a pair of sixes, England's dismal day came to an end when he was pitched leg-before-wicket by Bumrah.

It marked a memorable triumph for India as they gained a measure of revenge for their 10-wicket loss to England at the same stage in 2022, and the Proteas – who thrashed Afghanistan earlier in the day – are all that stand between them and the trophy.

Data Debrief: Recent history means nothing

India had lost their last two T20 World Cup semi-finals, having batted first on each of those occasions too, but they banished those demons in emphatic fashion this time around.

England had won three of their last four such matches, having bowled first in each of those games, but that record did not continue.

Buttler's future is uncertain, though he did at least take a slice of history with him, with his knock of 23 ensuring he became the fourth England player to score 1,000 runs at the T20 World Cup (1,013).

Marc Guehi has said that England head coach Gareth Southgate has the full confidence of his team-mates as the Three Lions prepare for their last-16 tie with Slovakia. 

The England team concluded their Group C campaign with a goalless draw against Slovenia in Cologne, topping the group with five points ahead of Denmark. 

But the sound of the full-time whistle was greeted with boos from the travelling Three Lions support, with much of it aimed towards Southgate. 

Guehi, who has started every game in Germany so far, has been a shining light for England as he continues to build a solid partnership alongside John Stones. 

"He has been fantastic for England. If you look at his record, it speaks for itself," 23-year-old Guehi said on the Three Lions boss. 

"Everyone is behind the manager and we have a really close tight-knit group just focused on the next group. Everyone appreciates him, especially me.

"He gave me my debut for England and he’s showed so much confidence in me. I am really grateful and I'm sure the rest of the team is as well."

As the curtain closed on the group stage on Wednesday, a shock Georgia win against Portugal meant that England would avoid the Netherlands in the knockout stages and fall on the favourable side of the draw. 

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium are in the other half of the draw, adding further expectation for England to end their wait for a first international honour in 58 years.

However, the Crystal Palace defender believes there are no easy games at this stage of the competition. 

"Everyone has seen in this competition that I don't think there is a favourable side of the draw," he said. "Every opponent is tough to play against.

"We just need to remain calm. We put pressure on ourselves, but it’s a very calm and focused environment. We just need to continue focusing on one thing at a time."

The Boston Celtics will begin defence of their NBA championship without the services of standout center Kristaps Porziņģis.

Porzingis underwent surgery for a left ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the Celtics' run through the NBA Finals, the team announced Thursday. The one-time All-Star is expected to need five-to-six months of recovery time, which could delay his season debut into December.

The Celtics said in a statement that Porzingis' procedure was to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left ankle, an injury he sustained in Boston's win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Finals on June 9.

Porzingis sat out Games 3 and 4 before returning for a limited role in the Celtics' title-clinching 106-88 victory in Game 5.

The eight-year veteran previously missed 10 play-off games with a strained right calf before returning for Game 1 of the Finals.

Porzingis will also miss next month's qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics in Paris, where he was to compete for his native Latvia.

Acquired from the Washington Wizards last June as part of a three-team trade that sent former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from Boston to the Memphis Grizzlies, Porzingis played a major role on a Celtics team that compiled the league's best regular-season record at 64-18 before going on to capture the franchise's first championship since 2008.

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis ranked third among Boston players in scoring at 20.1 points per game, shot 37.5 per cent from 3-point range and also averaged 7.2 rebounds in 57 games.

Porzingis, an All-Star with the New York Knicks in 2017-18, was limited to just seven games this post-season and averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.

The 28-year-old is under contract for one more season after signing a two-year, $60 million extension shortly after last summer's trade.

Porzingis' injury will likely push veteran Al Horford into a starting role to begin next season. The 38-year-old Horford averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists while starting Boston's final 15 post-season games and recently said he intends to return for an 18th NBA season. 

 

Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week. 

The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition. 

Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set. 

The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback. 

Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.

Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne

Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens. 

For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu. 

Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week. 

The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition. 

Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set. 

The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback. 

Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.

Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne

Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens. 

For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu. 

Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week. 

The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition. 

Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set. 

The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback. 

Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.

Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne

Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens. 

For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu. 

Alpine have announced that Pierre Gasly has signed a new multi-year contract, keeping him with the team until at least the 2026.

Gasly, who joined Alpine at the start of 2023, will have a new team-mate next year after it was announced that Esteban Ocon would be leaving at the end of the season. 

The Frenchman is currently 15th in the driver's championship with five points, with Alpine enduring a difficult start to the campaign and sit seventh in the constructors. 

However, their poor start did not deter Gasly putting pen to paper on a new deal, and he is looking forward to helping the team improve moving forwards. 

"I feel very much at home at this great team. I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision," said Gasly.

"I've been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the team. While on-track it's been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere.

"I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking. There is a lot of potential in this team's personnel and resources.

"I'm excited for what is to come in the future and right now I'm focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances."

 

Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler has insisted his team-mates are not afraid of Italy ahead of their Euro 2024 last-16 meeting in Berlin. 

Murat Yakin's side, who finished second in Group A behind hosts Germany, face the Azzurri on Saturday with the hopes of ending their 11-game winless run against their opponents. 

Freuler, who was on loan at Bologna from Nottingham Forest last season and was previously with Atalanta, says this will be no ordinary game for him.

"Of course, it's not a match like any other for me. In Italy I built my career, also finding an ideal country to spend my life with my family," he said.

"On Saturday, however, there won't be all this love. It's a round of 16 and there will be no room for feelings."

Freuler knows the next part of the tournament is where the Swiss will really be judged but insists they have nothing to fear from the reigning champions. 

"Doing well in the first part of the tournament is important. The matches that make the difference, those capable of changing the dimension of a national team, however, are others," Freuler said.

"But I'm not afraid. Switzerland are not afraid of Italy."

Italy, meanwhile, continue their quest to become the second side to win back-to-back European Championships, having notched four points from their three group games. 

The Azzurri were on the cusp of being eliminated from the tournament until Mattia Zaccagni's late strike secured a 1-1 draw with Croatia on matchday three.

Head coach Luciano Spalletti is looking for a much-improved display from his side, who he described as soft following the conclusion of their Group B fixtures. 

"We deserved to go through in terms of what we produced out there. We were a bit soft at times during the game, we did not necessarily play our best football," he said.

"We were timid and need to do more. We have players who have the quality to play these games on an equal footing, but sometimes we make trivial mistakes.

"Whenever there is a challenge or a 50-50, we don’t win any. It is not a technical question, it comes down to experience, getting into these physical challenges and being willing to do the dirty work. We need to improve on that score."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Switzerland - Remo Freuler

Remo Freuler has assisted three goals in his last four European Championship appearances for Switzerland, with his latest coming in their 1-1 draw with Germany. 

The only Swiss player with more assists at the European Championships is Steven Zuber (four), and the midfielder will be keen to add to his tally in Berlin. 

Italy - Gianluigi Donnarumma

Having scored just three goals in their three group games, Italy captain Donnarumma was often the busier goalkeeper in the Azzurri's Group B fixtures. 

The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper made 11 saves for Italy in the group stages, the most by an Italian goalkeeper in that part of a major tournament since Gianluigi Buffon at Euro 2012 (also 11).

 

MATCH PREDICTION: ITALY WIN

This will be Switzerland and Italy’s fifth meeting at a major international tournament, with the Swiss winning both games at the 1954 World Cup (2-1 in the groups and 4-1 in a group-stage play-off).

However, Italy have won the last two, both in the group stages and both times 3-0, in the 1962 World Cup and at Euro 2020, and are unbeaten in their last 11 matches against Switzerland in all competitions (six draws, five losses).

But the contest in Berlin has the potential to go beyond the 90 minutes. Fifteen of the Azzurri's last 26 knockout matches at major international tournaments have gone to extra-time, including four of their last five. 

Switzerland may be outsiders, but they come into the encounter with confidence, having lost just one of their last 13 matches at the European Championships (four wins, eight draws) and they will be hopeful of improving their woeful record in the knockout stages of major tournaments. 

Excluding shoot-outs, they have failed to win any of their seven last-16 matches at major international tournaments (three draws, four defeats), progressing to the quarter-finals on just one occasion at Euro 2020 by beating France on penalties. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Switzerland - 31.4%

Draw - 30.3%

Italy - 38.4%

Red Bull will be on home soil at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, but Lando Norris is positive about his chances of putting more pressure on world champion Max Verstappen.

Norris has managed six podium finishes and one race victory this season, his maiden F1 win coming in Miami last month.

With 150 points, the McLaren driver now sits second in the drivers' championship standings for the first time in his career, 69 points back of Verstappen.

While Verstappen approaches this weekend – which features the third sprint race of the year – with back-to-back victories in Canada and Spain under his belt, Norris believes McLaren have every chance of pushing him close again.

"We're on a roll and we're doing well," Norris said this week. "I need to tidy up a few little bits and pieces and we'll be on top. I am confident.

"Every weekend we go into now, the car is performing extremely well and we're always there, or thereabouts, within a couple of tenths."

Five of the last six races have seen Verstappen and Norris finish in the top two positions, and the McLaren driver has 10 runner-up finishes since the team introduced transformative upgrades to their car at last year's edition of the Austrian Grand Prix.

With Red Bull heading home after seeing their huge lead over their rivals chipped away in recent weeks, Verstappen expects plenty of thrills and spills.

"It is another sprint race this weekend, which always ends up being a hectic and busy weekend for us," Verstappen said. 

"It is really important to nail the set-up of the car straight away and analyse how best we build and improve on our previous races, especially as qualifying is always close here. 

"The track lends itself to a lot of overtaking so I'm sure it will be an exciting race. 

"The team performed well here last year so hopefully, we can do the fans proud this weekend and bring it home with another win."

This weekend's sprint will be the 15th since the format's introduction, and no driver has more wins (nine), pole positions (seven), fastest laps (seven), podium finishes (13) or points (89) in the sprints than Verstappen.

The Dutchman's four wins in the main race in Spielberg are also an F1 record.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris –  McLaren

After two years of near-total dominance, Verstappen finally has a consistent challenger in Norris, who has finished inside the top four at each of his last six races, as many as in his previous 15.

He has already led for a career-high 58 total laps throughout the 2024 season, while his next podium finish will see him match John Watson and go joint-13th in the all-time charts for British drivers, with 20.

Verstappen has not been on pole for any of the last three races, with Norris unable to capitalise when starting at the front of the grid in Barcelona last week. He will be desperate to go one better here.

Sergio Perez – Red Bull

While Verstappen's latest battle with Norris will capture the headlines, Red Bull's home race is also a big one for the Dutchman's team-mate Perez, who is enduring a difficult year.

Perez has finished outside the top five at each of his last four races (two eighth-place places and two retirements). He could find himself outside the top five on five straight outings for the first time since 2021, when he had a miserable five-race run between races in Austria and the Netherlands.

The Mexican, who got a two-year contract extension from the team earlier this month after much speculation regarding his future, needs to be far more consistent, starting here.

With Ferrari 60 points behind Red Bull in the constructors' championship standings and eating away at that advantage, Christian Horner will be desperate to see Verstappen get some support. 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 219 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 150 
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 148
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 116
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 111

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 330
2. Ferrari – 270
3. McLaren – 237
4. Mercedes – 151
5. Aston Martin – 58

Dusan Lajovic has praised Novak Djokovic's resilience as he continues his preparations for Wimbledon next week. 

Djokovic, who has won the tournament seven times, underwent knee surgery earlier this month having withdrawn from the French Open. 

As a result, the Serbian was forced to relinquish his number one spot in the world rankings to Jannik Sinner. 

However, the Serbian was pictured training at Wimbledon 18 days after his successful operation, but remains unsure over his participation in the competition. 

Lajovic, who beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Srpska Open last year, says his compatriot will make the right decision on his fitness.

"It just shows his grit," Lajovic said. "He's always been such a fighter, even if he gives himself a one per cent chance to compete, he's going to do everything to maximise that,"

"He's going to wait until probably the last minute to see if he's ready and if his body can support the stress of playing in a grand slam.

"So, in the end, he normally makes good decisions about his body, and about his tennis as well. If he thinks he can make it, then he probably can make it."

Aiden Markram praised South Africa's bowlers following their nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan to book their place in the T20 World Cup final. 

The Proteas were forced to bowl first, having lost the toss, but reduced their opponents to 28-6 in 6.3 overs as Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada starred.

Afghanistan were bowled out for 56 after just 11.5 overs, and despite the early loss of Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Markram steered South Africa into their maiden men's world cup final. 

"(We were) fortunate to have lost the toss, I guess. We also would have batted, so we got a bit of luck with regards to that," Markram said at the presentation ceremony. "But the bowlers still had to get it in the right areas.

"They got enough balls in the right areas and made life really tough for the Afghanistan batters. So, credit to them.

"They've been incredible throughout this whole competition for us. They've kept things really simple and sort of assessed conditions and adapted their plans accordingly. And they've been incredible for us so far."

It proved to be third time lucky for South Africa, having lost both of their previous semi-final appearances at the tournament. 

"Chuffed to have got it over the line. A lot of our games have been really close," Markram said on his side's narrow wins during this year's tournament. 

"And I know there (have been) a lot of people back at home in the early hours of the morning, waking up, and we (have been) giving them a lot of grey hairs.

"So, hopefully, this evening was a little bit more comforting for them."

Dorival Junior will get things right despite Brazil's underwhelming start to the Copa America, believes left-back Guilherme Arana, as the Selecao prepare to face Paraguay.

Brazil were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Costa Rica in their opening Group D match on Monday, losing ground on Colombia, who started with a win over Paraguay.

While Dorival praised aspects of his team's performance in that match, he acknowledged more will be needed in the final third if the Selecao are to challenge for a 10th South American crown. 

Atletico Mineiro full-back Arana, who played the full 90 minutes last time out, praised Dorival's approach as he opened up on the coach's reaction to the result. 

"As soon as we entered the dressing room, he praised our pressing after we lost the ball, it was very good, we didn't concede anything defensively," Arana said.

"He encouraged us, gave us morale. I think that's the thought not only of him but of all the players.

"The result of the debut was bad, but we still have two games to go. In other words, two great opportunities. That's the thinking. 

"Of course it's a new job, Dorival arrived recently, the players are new too, but we're focused together with him.

"Dorival knows what he's doing, he's an excellent coach and he's going to help us a lot."

Paraguay were beaten 2-1 by Colombia in their opener, leaving them likely needing to cause an upset to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Head coach Daniel Garnero believes there were plenty of positives to take from that match, saying: "We have a clear idea of our gameplan and the feeling is that we competed at all times.

"I think it was an even game, we did not manage to bring home the points but we tried to match our opponents. 

"With Argentina [and Colombia], these were the two teams that arrived at the Copa with great superiority. 

"There were many positive elements and when we take stock of this match we'll see this."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Paraguay – Julio Enciso 

Enciso attempted 11 dribbles against Colombia in Paraguay's Copa America opener, the joint-most of any player in the opening round of fixtures at the tournament (tied with Richard Ríos of Colombia). 

The Brighton and Hove Albion player completed six of them, the second-highest figure in the first round, behind Rios' eight.

By netting his nation's consolation goal, he became the second-youngest player to score for Paraguay at a major tournament this century (20 years, 153 days), after Ernesto Cristaldo versus Chile at the 2004 Copa America (20 years, 117 days).

Brazil – Vinicius Junior

Brazil failed to make their superiority count against Costa Rica, making more passes (695) than any other team across the first matchday of the competition, but only registered three shots on target from the 19 they attempted. 

Vinicius was withdrawn for future Real Madrid team-mate Endrick 71 minutes in after failing to register a single shot, though he did create a game-high three chances.

 

He has been substituted in each of the Selecao's last six competitive matches, versus Costa Rica and in three World Cup qualifiers last year, as well as their last two fixtures at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After scoring 24 goals and adding nine assists for Los Blancos last season, Vinicius will be expecting to produce a better display on Friday.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRAZIL WIN

Brazil recorded 49 entries into Costa Rica's penalty area on matchday one, their joint-highest figure in a Copa America match since such data began being recorded in 2011 (also versus Paraguay in 2019).

More penetration – and better finishing – will be required next time out.

Paraguay have not lost any of their last five matches against Brazil at the Copa America, recording one win and four draws.

This equals the second-longest unbeaten streak against Brazil in the history of the tournament, behind Argentina's eight-match run between 1923 and 1946 (seven wins, one draw), tied with Paraguay's own streak between 1963 and 1983 (two wins, three draws).

However, Paraguay have only won one of their last six games in all competitions (two draws, three defeats), so Dorvial's team go into the match as strong favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Paraguay – 13.4%

Brazil – 69.6%

Draw – 17%

Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will remain as a driver with the team for at least two more years.

The 25-year-old, who is the son of the team's owner, Lawrence Stroll, will partner Fernando Alonso, who also signed a new contract in April. 

Stroll is currently 11th in the driver's championship, having picked up 17 points from the first 10 races of the season ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. 

"I'm super happy to have committed to staying with the team for 2025 and beyond," Stroll said. 

"It's amazing to see how far we've come in the last five years; we've grown so much as a team and there's still so much more to look forward to."

Stroll joined the team in 2019 after his father bought it and saved it from bankruptcy in August 2018.

The team rebranded as Aston Martin in 2022 and finished fifth in last year's constructors' championship, with team principal Mike Krack delighted with the news. 

"We are delighted to confirm Lance's future with Aston Martin Aramco," Krack said. "He has played a key role in building this team.

"His technical feedback, alongside his committed simulator work, has helped contribute to the continuous development of the car each season.

"The consistency and stability of both Lance and Fernando remaining with our team is a great platform to continue to realise our ambitions.

"We look forward to creating some more incredible memories and achieving further success together."

Aston Martin will switch from Mercedes to Honda engines in 2026 as part of a works deal with the Japanese manufacturer under F1's next set of technical regulations.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.