Date: Saturday, 3 July 2010
Competetion: FIFA World Cup Quarter Final Live
Venue: Cape Town
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Argentina vs Germany Live
Click To Watch World Cup Quarter Fianl Live
Coverage: Television coverage BBC1 & BBC HD, video live on BBC Sport website for UK users, BBC Radio 5 live, live text commentary on this website
MATCH PREVIEW
It could be tempting fate, but Saturday's match in Cape Town has all the ingredients to be a World Cup classic - two attack-minded sides, a plethora of star names and bucket loads of needle. With 19 goals between them, both sides have gone for the jugular in South Africa. That was certainly the case when the teams met in the quarter-finals four years ago, when Germany's penalty shoot-out win was followed by a mass brawl which earned two Argentine players Fifa bans.
Bastian Schweinsteiger has this week reopened those old wounds: "The behaviour of the Argentines on the pitch, how they gesticulate and how they try to influence the referee, is disrespectful". Captain Philipp Lahm went further, saying "they are impulsive, temperamental and they don't know how to lose."
For once, Diego Maradona refused to take the bait, dismissing Schweinsteiger's comments as symptomatic of nerves, but the coach admits Argentina will be looking for revenge on Saturday.
Lionel Messi was only an unused substitute in 2006, but will play a key role in Cape Town. Messi was many people's tip as player of the tournament but, by his own very high standards, has yet to hit top gear. Instead Germany's Mesut Ozil has arguably been the outstanding player in South Africa.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Assistants: Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan) and Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)
Fourth official: Jerome Damon (South Africa)
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