New Zealand proved against Italy that their previous 1-1 draw against Slovakia was not a fluke. The All Whites were expected to be the whipping boys in Group F, although they go into this match in Polokwane with a genuine chance of going through to the last sixteen.

However, manager Ricki Herbert admits that the team are short on quality and this might be in evidence against a Paraguay team who are defensively very sound and look exciting going forward. While manager Gerardo Martino was happy to see them land a point against Italy, their performance against Slovakia was one of the best of the tournament, especially the way that the midfield drove forward.

This approach led to goals from Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros, while the team even had the luxury of the excellent Oscar Cardozo on the bench. Paraguay will want to make completely sure of top spot in Group F to avoid Holland in the next round and they could cruise through this match as a result.

PREDICTION: PARAGUAY -1 ON ASIAN HANDICAP @ 1.94 with Ladbrokes