World Cup Final stats
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First off, kudos to Football Form Labs for picking the winner of the World Cup. But hold your horses the match hasn’t started yet? Well it doesn’t matter because they nominated both Argentina and Germany, boom! Well done. So here are their thoughts on the final
Much like when these sides met in the 1990 final we have a superior German team against an Argentine team that will look to the world’s best player for inspiration.
Four years ago Germany thrashed Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals but failed to back up that result in the next round as Spain beat them 1-0. In fact since 1990 there have been nine World Cup matches where one side had won by at least three goals in the previous knockout round and seven have lost their next match in 90 minutes (W1-D1-L7). However, the only three matches in that sample from the semi-finals (this will be the first for a final) saw two narrow defeats to higher ranked nations that won the final and one win on penalties before ultimate success in the final.
Germany have won 28 of their last 32 competitive matches with just one defeat and since 2006 they are unbeaten in five competitive games against CONMEBOL nations with four wins. Since 1970 the higher ranked side in the Football Form Lab gradings have W4-D4-L3 in World Cup finals but they did lift the trophy seven times including in five of the last six occasions.
Argentina have reached the final without ever hitting their best form. With Sergio Aguero having been injured and Angel Di Maria out of the tournament they have struggled for creativity and against a German team that should dominate the midfield we could see that continue. They are on a 12 game unbeaten streak but nine of those games have had fewer than three goals as they’ve kept 10 clean sheets and half the matches have been goalless at half-time.
Argentina are unbeaten in their last 12 matches against UEFA nations but since 1990 they’ve won only one knockout match against European side as they’ve gone W1-D6-L5. Furthermore going back to the 1998 World Cup Argentina have won only one competitive game against teams ranked above them (W1-D5-L6) and you have to go back 10 games to 1990 to find the last time they won a knockout game against a higher ranked side.
Since 1970 there have been four World Cup Finals where just one side had required extra-time in the semis and they have lost 4-1, 3-1 and 3-0 before Italy managed a draw and triumphed on penalties. The record in WC semi-finals since 1986 of teams in this position is W1-D4-L6 and in the combined 15 match sample there have been seven Draw/Loss doubles as teams have weakened in the second half. In fact 12 of the 15 games have been level at half-time.
Germany are the better team and they’ve won five of their last six competitive games against top-five ranked sides. Their side is more experienced, fresher, has the best goalkeeper in the world, and while Argentina might be able to frustrate them for a while we can’t see them stopping the Germans becoming the first European side to lift the World Cup on South American soil.
Quick stats
- There have been four World Cup finals since 1970 where just one team had played extra-time and they have lost in 90 minutes three times – all three lost the second half – with one draw that led to success on penalties
- The last six World Cup finals have featured just eight goals and five have had fewer than three goals
- Both teams have scored in none of the last four UEFA versus CONMEBOL World Cup finals
- Argentina have won none of their four competitive games against Germany since 1990 with two defeats and one loss on penalties
- Both teams have scored in just one of Argentina’s last five competitive games
- Argentina are unbeaten in their last 12 matches with 10 clean sheets
- Argentina have won nine of their last 12 games against UEFA nations as well as 10 of their last 13 such matches played in South America
- Argentina have won just four of 15 competitive games against UEFA sides since 1998 (W4-D7-L4)
- 11 of Argentina’s last 31 knockout matches have gone to penalties
- Argentina have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their seven finals since 1990 and have lost three of the last four
- Germany have won 28 of their last 32 competitive matches with just one defeat
- Germany have lost three of their last four finals whilst scoring only once
- Since 2006 Germany are unbeaten in competitive games against South American sides with four wins including a 4-0 victory over Argentina four years ago
- Only two of Germany’s 23 World Cup knockout matches since 1990 have gone to penalties
- Argentina have drawn seven WC knockout matches since 1990 and they’ve won the tie six times including 4/5 on penalties and both to be settled in extra-time
- All three of Argentina’s knockout matches at this World Cup have been goalless in the second half
- Since 1995 Argentina have lost all nine Finals matches where they’ve trailed at half-time and they’ve only scored in two of the games
- Only two of Germany’s 14 World Cup knockout matches since 1990 to be level at half-time have been goalless in the second half
- Only one of the last six WC Finals have seen more than one second-half goal
- Three of the last four WC Finals to be level at half-time have gone to extra-time
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