Last 16
Germany 1
Paraguay 0

A goal two minutes from time by Oliver Neuville gave Germany a 1-0 win over Paraguay and a place in the World Cup quarter-finals yesterday.

The dull match was drifting towards extra time when the striker, starting his first match at the finals, latched onto a cross by Bernd Schneider and struck home a first-time shot from six metres.

Paraguay midfielder Roberto Acuna was sent off in the dying seconds after striking Michael Ballack in an off-the-ball incident.

Germany go on to meet either Mexico or the US. They have failed to reach the last eight of the World Cup only once in the last 50 years - in 1978 - while Paraguay have never advanced beyond the second round.

"We played well and I'm very happy to have scored the winner. I'm pleased to have played the whole of a World Cup game for the first time," said Oliver Neuville.

He lost his place shortly before the World Cup when he missed Germany's warm-up games because he was with Bayer Leverkusen as they prepared for the Champions League final.

Paraguay's goalkeeper and captain Jose Luis Chilavert said: "The Germans were lucky today. We lost, but we lost well.

"Germany didn't play better than us, we matched them."

The two teams, meeting for the very first time, had largely cancelled each other out in a match with few chances. In the opening stages there was little goalmouth action until Paraguay threatened with a left-foot drive from wing-back Denis Caniza that went just wide on 19 minutes.

Germany goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn was made to work three minutes later, punching a 25-metre free-kick from defender Francisco Arce over his bar, and had to be alert again on 37 minutes to tip away a drive from substitute Jorge Campos.

Germany had their best chance before the break when striker Miroslav Klose fired over from a Marco Bode pass in the 32nd minute.

The South Americans' flamboyant goalkeeper Chilavert did not have to make a save until midfielder Schneider fired straight at him two minutes after the interval.

Chilavert was kept busy as he had to dive on an attempt from just outside the box by Neuville in the 62nd minute. The Paraguay captain then left his goal to take a well-placed free-kick in the 72nd minute but his effort flew well over the bar.

Klose, the leading scorer with five goals, then headed over from a Ballack cross in the 78th minute.

'We deserved to win' - Rudi Voeller

Germany coach Rudi Voeller thought his team merited a place in the quarter-finals.

"We deserved to win," he said.

"We did not play so well in the first half because Paraguay are a very difficult team to play.

"I was a bit annoyed at half-time because we were playing exactly the opposite of the game we had planned, at times blindly kicking the ball forward.

"But after the break we played football, the team did a good job. We also knew that Paraguay were becoming somewhat tired. They played a tight defence and that is always difficult because you always have to watch out for the counter attack."

Voeller turned his thoughts immediately to the next round.

"Both Mexico and the US are very good teams and I do not mind who we play," he said. "All the teams left had a very good first round. It doesn't make any difference who we play next."

Germany reached the last eight with a beautiful late goal, losing coach Cesare Maldini said.

"It was a very, very even game," he added. "There weren't many scoring chances on either side."

He paid tribute to the German goal.

"Most of the game took place in the midfield and suddenly there was a beautiful run on the right and a beautiful goal scored by (Oliver) Neuville."

Germany: Kahn; Frings, Linke, Rehmer (Kehl 46), Metzelder (Baumann 60); Schneider, Jeremies, Ballack, Bode; Klose, Neuville (Asamoah 90).

Paraguay: Chilavert; Arce, Gamarra, Ayala, Caceres, Caniza; Bonet (Gavilan 84), Acuna, Struway (Cuevas 90); Cardozo, Santa Cruz (Campos 29).

Referee: Carlos Batres (Guatemala).

Scorer: Neuville 88.

Yellow Cards: Schneider, Baumann, Ballack; Acuna, Cardozo.

Red card: Acuna 90.

HT: 0-0. Attendance: 25,176.