A young Real Madrid forward accustomed to the pace and space of Spanish football will face an experienced centre-back hardened in the English Championship and knowing how to seize the initiative from an attacker. Güler is used to finding solutions in positional play, Alderete — in physical confrontation and game reading. On this part of the pitch, it may become clear how quickly the Turkish striker adapts to direct defence, and the Paraguayan defender — to the artistry of Spanish football.

Çalhanoglu will meet a young Paraguayan raised in the American school and accustomed to the rhythm of the Premier League, where pace and pressing leave no time for deliberation. The Turkish midfielder — a master of positional play, used to dictating the tempo in Serie A, where time freezes on every pass. Control of this part of the pitch could determine how freely each team will develop their attack from midfield.

Montella came to the Turkish national team with experience of European club football and immediately built a system based on organization and set pieces — the school of Italian methodology. Alfaro, by contrast, inherits the tradition of Latin American pragmatism: he lifted Paraguay from years of stagnation in qualifying, betting on quick results. In this match, two visions will meet — European architecture against South American drive.