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As the 2014 World Cup reaches its climax, here is all the latest information ahead of the final between Germany and Argentina.
Team news: Germany defender Mats Hummels is expected to be available for selection despite missing the second half against Brazil as a precaution because of tendonitis. Argentina winger Angel Di Maria is a doubt after pulling out of training on Saturday with a suspected thigh injury. Striker Sergio Aguero has fully recovered from a muscle strain and could replace Ezequiel Lavezzi or Gonzalo Higuain. Left-back Marcos Rojo did not complete training on Friday due to a sore ankle but he should be fine for the final. Key clash: Toni Kroos (Germany) v Javier Mascherano (Argentina) Two Golden Ball nominees come face-to-face here and Mascherano must ensure Kroos cannot keep Germany ticking. This game could be decided by just one goal with La Albiceleste’s talisman Lionel Messi unlikely to get much space - so Argentina’s defence, which has not conceded since the group stage, will be vital. One to watch: Manuel Neuer (Germany) The giant Bayern Munich ‘keeper has been in fine form so far at the World Cup and another good performance will likely win him the Golden Gloves award. Head-to-head record: Played 6 Argentina Wins 4 Draws 2 Losses 0 Opta stats: - Germany are set to play in their eighth World Cup final; more than any other nation. They have won three titles.
- They have won just one of their last four appearances in the World Cup final (1990 v Argentina).
- Germany have now reached a World Cup final in each of the last seven decades (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982 and 86, 1990, 2002 and now 2014).
- Argentina are set to play in their fifth World Cup final, they have won two and lost two of the previous four.
- This will be the third World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. They met in successive finals in 1986 and 1990, with each team lifting the title (3-2 Argentina in 1986, 1-0 Germany in 1990).
- No other fixture has been played as often in a World Cup final as Germany v Argentina.
- This is the 10th time that teams from Europe and South America face each other in the final. Seven of these finals have been won by the teams from South America.
- Both sides will face off for the seventh time at the World Cup, the only fixture that has been played as often is Brazil v Sweden (seven times).
- Germany have won three and lost just one of the previous six World Cup encounters with Argentina (D2). Germany also won the penalty shootout in 2006 against Argentina.
- Record breaker: Germany's Miroslav Klose has scored more World Cup goals than any other player in history
- Germany had eliminated Argentina from the 2006 World Cup (1-1 AET and 4-2 on penalties in the quarter-final) and from the 2010 World Cup (4-0 in the quarter-final).
- The 4-0 defeat in 2010 is Argentina's heaviest World Cup defeat in the last 40 years (0-4 v Netherlands in 1974).
- Argentina have won nine out of 20 games against Germany (D5 L6), though. The last meeting (August 2012, Frankfurt) saw Argentina win 3-1.
- No side have kept as many clean sheets as Argentina in the 2014 World Cup (four, Germany have three).
- Argentina are yet to concede a goal in the knock-out stages at this tournament (despite playing extra-time in two of their three games).
- On the last five occasions that Germany have failed to score in a World Cup match, they have lost.
The last time Germany scored in a World Cup match and lost was the 1994 quarter final defeat to Bulgaria (1-2).
- Germany are unbeaten in 17 internationals (W12, D5).
- Argentina haven't been trailing in any of their six games at the 2014 World Cup, Germany just eight minutes (v Ghana).
- Argentina have won four out of five penalty shootouts at the World Cup, Germany won four out of four (including the one against Argentina in 2006).
- Miroslav Klose has scored more World Cup goals than any other player in history and as many as the entire current Argentinian squad (16).
- Only Lothar Matthäus (25) has played more World Cup games than Klose (23, as many as Paolo Maldini).
- Klose is the only player in both squads who has already played in a World Cup final (2002, 0-2 v Brazil).
- Argentina's Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo lead the way in terms of crosses attempted from open play, with Rojo's haul of 25 so far bettered only by team-mate di Maria (32).
- Thomas Müller has played a hand in 16 World Cup goals in 12 appearances at the finals (10 goals and six assists).
- Müller (2010 and 2014) and Klose (2002 and 2006) are the only players in history to score 5+ goals at consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Müller is the first-ever Golden Boot winner to reproduce his number of goals at the following World Cup (five goals in 2010, five in 2014). Müller could also become the first player ever to win the Golden Boot at successive World Cups. Lionel Messi has been the most creative player at World Cup 2014, setting up a tournament-high 21 goal-scoring chances for team-mates. Messi has embarked on a tournament-high 65 dribbles so far, completing (another-high) 39 of them. No German player has created more chances for their teammates in the 2014 World Cup than Mesut Özil (15). Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has attempted a competition-high 509 passes so far. Mascherano has also made the most tackles so far - 28. Andre Schürrle has scored three times in just 156 minutes of action so far at this World Cup. Only Tim Howard (27) has made more saves in the competition than Manuel Neuer (23). Lionel Messi has scored five World Cup goals to date, but none of them in the knockout stages. Angel di Maria or Sami Khedira will become the 10th player to win both the Champions League and the World Cup in the same season. Seven of the previous nine have been German (Bayern Munich 1974) along with Christian Karembeu in 1998 and Roberto Carlos in 2002.
Source: ww.dailymail.co.uk/
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