It was a return to the World Cup for both sides to forget in their opening fixtures, with both nations falling to disappointing defeats. Turkiye will be the more frustrated out of the two, as they carried a huge weight of expectation going into their match against Australia last Saturday, and failed to perform. 

For the Crescent Stars, three points and a good performance are necessary if they want to have any chance of a strong qualifying finish. If the Turks have identified a solution to their goal-scoring woes, then this is the match that could kick-start their World Cup campaign.

Paraguay will be more worried than disappointed after being thrashed by the USA 4-1, in a performance that completely shattered any hopes of La Albirroja being a surprise package for this year's tournament.

It is a matchup that may not have the highest viewing stats, with the game kicking off at 8 p.m. PT  (4 a.m. BST, June 20), but it is a match that plays a pivotal role in the outcome of Group D. 

It will be the first time that the two sides meet in a competitive fixture, after having only faced off against each other once before, all the way back in 1995. This friendly ended 0-0, a result that would do no favours for either side this time around.

Both teams should expect a similar style of play to what they faced in their opening matches, as Turkiye will likely dominate the ball, as they did against Australia, whilst Paraguay will look to nick a goal on the break and latch on to any mistakes made by the Turks.

Whilst both nations looked poor in their previous matches, Gustavo Alfaro and Vincenzo Montella have had a week of training with their squads to identify their weaknesses and put on a performance that their fans can be proud of. 

Both sides go into Saturday's game with a clean bill of health, leaving a full squad at each manager's disposal to choose from. This will be vital, especially for Paraguay, if they are looking to absorb the Turks pressure for the whole 90, whilst staying fresh on the pitch.

Montella told reporters, “We are extremely saddened,” after his side's disappointing 2-0 defeat to the Socceroos, and the 52-year-old will be desperate to put it right in their upcoming game. The Italian boss usually remains calm and measured in pressurised situations, so his players should follow suit despite all the expectation being on them against Paraguay. 

Alfaro admitted that the occasion may have got to his men when he spoke after La Albirroja's defeat to the USA. "You have to put that (emotion) aside because at the World Cup you have to think about ​decision-making, getting things right, being focused," he said.

It has set the game up to be a battle of the minds first and talent second, as both sides have shown they are prone to mistakes, and whichever nation can handle the occasion better on the day may go on to win the fixture.

Whilst the opening match in the World Cup is key to getting off to a good start, it's games like this that really put nations to the test. With any more dropped points for either side spelling disaster, it should be a battle that the players are up for, leaving everything on the pitch.

The Crescent Stars will be expected to brush La Albirroja aside easily and make up for their poor start. However, this is the World Cup and could throw up another surprising result, leaving qualification uncertain for three nations on the final day.

It is a game that may go under the radar amongst football fans, but just like last week's set of matches, it could prove to be some of the most entertaining and may result in some of the most interesting stories of the tournament so far.

For this very reason, I could see Paraguay managing to pick up a draw, leaving Group D in a precarious position as a result, and ensuring there will be final game drama to decide who makes the knockout stages.

Final Score: Turkiye 2-2 Paraguay