Match ends, Germany 2, Argentina 4.
GermanyGermany2ArgentinaArgentina4
New Manchester United signing Angel Di Maria set up three goals and scored another as Argentina beat world champions Germany in Dusseldorf.
Di Maria, a £59.7m capture, provided a delightful pass for Sergio Aguero to fire the South American side ahead.
Tottenham's Erik Lamela doubled the lead with a volley before Swansea's Federico Fernandez made it 3-0.
Di Maria made it 4-0 before Chelsea's Andre Schurrle and an own goal by Fernandez reduced the deficit.
Only four members of the Germany starting XI when the two sides met in the World Cup final 52 days earlier started the friendly, as Argentina gained a modicum of revenge for the narrow 1-0 defeat in July.
Mario Gomez, who missed the World Cup because of injury, wasted three chances for the hosts and received some boos from the home fans when his best opportunity on the stroke of half-time went begging.
By then, Germany were already two goals down because of the vision and precision of Di Maria.
In the 20th minute, he curled a cross in behind the Germany defence with the outside of his left boot, serving the ball on a plate for Aguero to lift it into the roof of the net from point-blank range.
Five minutes before the break, Di Maria, who missed the World Cup final through injury, got to the byeline and lifted the ball back for Lamela to place perfectly into the top left-hand corner with a side-footed volley.
It became 3-0 for Argentina almost immediately in the second half when Swansea's Fernandez arrived to head Di Maria's cross past Germany's substitute goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Three minutes later, Di Maria crowned his excellent personal performance with a goal, racing in from the right before dinking the ball delicately past the onrushing Weidenfeller.
Germany grabbed a consolation moments later through Schurrle, while Marco Reus hit a post before Mario Gotze's wayward effort was deflected into his own goal by Fernandez to bring the hosts back to within two goals.
Germany manager Joachim Low:
"We would have beaten Argentina in the final on July 13 even if Di Maria had been playing.
"He couldn't have beaten us on that day."
Argentina manager Gerardo Martino:
"Di Maria is one of the best four or five players in the world and so his performance didn't surprise me.
"His absence {in the World Cup final] was noticeable."
Line-ups
Germany
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1NeuerSubstituted forWeidenfellerat 45'minutes
- 2Großkreutz
- 4HöwedesSubstituted forRüdigerat 77'minutes
- 3Ginter
- 15Durm
- 24Kramer
- 18KroosSubstituted forRudyat 71'minutes
- 9SchürrleSubstituted forMüllerat 57'minutes
- 21Reus
- 14DraxlerBooked at 20minsSubstituted forPodolskiat 33'minutesBooked at 70mins
- 23GomezSubstituted forGötzeat 58'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Hummels
- 7Rudy
- 10Podolski
- 12Zieler
- 13Müller
- 19Götze
- 20Boateng
- 22Weidenfeller
- 25Rüdiger
Argentina
Formation 4-3-3
- 1RomeroSubstituted forAndújarat 80'minutes
- 4ZabaletaSubstituted forCampagnaroat 77'minutes
- 17Fernandez
- 15DemichelisBooked at 17mins
- 16Rojo
- 8PérezSubstituted forFernándezat 45'minutes
- 14Mascherano
- 6Biglia
- 18LamelaSubstituted forGagoat 68'minutes
- 10AgüeroSubstituted forGaitánat 83'minutes
- 7Di MaríaSubstituted forÁlvarezat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Campagnaro
- 5Gago
- 9Higuaín
- 13Fernández
- 19Álvarez
- 20Gaitán
- 21Andújar
- 22Lavezzi
- 23Basanta
- Referee:
- Björn Kuipers
- Attendance:
- 51,132
Match Stats
Home TeamGermanyAway TeamArgentina
- Possession
- Home49%
- Away51%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away7
- Corners
- Home11
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away13
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Germany 2, Argentina 4.
Post update
Foul by Fernando Gago (Argentina).
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Mario Götze (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Nicolás Gaitán (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Sebastian Rudy (Germany).
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Ricardo Álvarez (Argentina) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Kevin Großkreutz (Germany).
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Corner, Germany. Conceded by Lucas Biglia.
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Corner, Germany. Conceded by Hugo Campagnaro.
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Foul by Federico Fernández (Argentina).
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Marco Reus (Germany) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Argentina. Ricardo Álvarez replaces Ángel Di María.
Substitution
Substitution, Argentina. Nicolás Gaitán replaces Sergio Agüero.
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Foul by Marcos Rojo (Argentina).
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Thomas Müller (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ángel Di María (Argentina).
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Antonio Rüdiger (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Fernando Gago (Argentina).
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Sebastian Rudy (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
