Germany are 90 minutes from the World Cup last 16, and for once the hard part may be staying awake to watch it. The team face Paraguay late on Monday in their first knockout tie since lifting the trophy in 2014, and a win would push them into the round of 16 and, in all likelihood, a meeting with France.
When and where
Kickoff is set for 10:30 PM CEST on Monday at Gillette Stadium near Boston, the late slot a familiar tax German fans pay for a tournament staged across North America. The venue gives the match a neutral but charged backdrop as the competition tips from group play into straight elimination.
How Germany got here
Julian Nagelsmann's side topped their group, though not without wobbles. They saw off Curacao, edged Ivory Coast in a tighter contest than they would have liked, then slipped to a defeat against Ecuador in the final group game that took some of the shine off an otherwise solid opening run. First place still sent them through with momentum, if not total conviction.
The coach struck a sober note before the Paraguay tie, saying his team would need a perfect performance to advance. It was a pointed message to a side ranked tenth in the world and not counted among the tournament favourites, despite its own ambitions.
How to watch in Germany
Anyone in Germany has several ways to follow the game. The public broadcasters ARD and ZDF are showing matches for free, with live streams on sportschau.de and ZDF.de for those who would rather watch on a laptop or phone than a television.
For full coverage, MagentaTV is carrying all 104 matches of the expanded tournament, including 44 that air exclusively on the platform in Germany. Fans travelling or living abroad sometimes lean on a VPN to reach international public broadcasters such as the BBC, though availability and terms vary by service.
And then there is the option that needs no subscription at all, the crowded sports bar or the public viewing screen, where the late kickoff becomes less an inconvenience than an excuse for a long summer night in front of a big screen.
What is at stake
Beyond the obvious prize of a place in the last 16, the match carries a heavier symbolism. This is Germany's first World Cup knockout game in more than a decade, a chance to show that a proud football nation has found its footing again after years of underachievement on the biggest stage. Win, and the reward is most likely France, ranked second in the world and a daunting next step. Lose, and a promising campaign ends early once more.
For now the focus is narrow and the instruction simple. Find a screen, settle in for the late start, and watch whether Nagelsmann's team can turn a decent group stage into a genuine run.