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#1 Overall, Brazil won the key battles and had more team balance
While Argentina can genuinely claim to have been the better side over the duration of the 90 minutes, this was a function of their host's gameplan, as Brazil had an edge in teamwork and won most of the key battles.
The former point is largely due to the length of time this team has been together, as since taking over the job following Dunga's departure in the summer of 2016, Brazilian head coach Tite has molded this team in his image and while they might have disappointed at the last World Cup, the positive sides of his work are evident for all to see.
Even new arrivals to the squad such as Everton, Arthur, and Richarlison have settled in seamlessly and despite their improved displays in their last two matches, Argentina still lacked the chemistry and bonding to match that which is present in this Brazil squad.
When Brazil needed to come out and attack, they did so and got the goal they needed while they also showed great tactical discipline and teamwork to maintain their balance and shape after going ahead to ensure they caught Argentina out on the counter.
Beyond their evident teamwork and understanding, Brazil also won the key battles on the field, with the evergreen Dani Alves putting in a wonderful shift to contain Marcos Acuna and Angel di Maria, while Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero were largely silenced by the PSG pairing of Marquinhos and Thiago Silva.
In midfield, the hugely impressive Leandro Paredes' impact was limited by Casemiro and while Juan Foyth effectively contained the threat of Everton Soares. Overall, Brazil won more key battles than their opponents and this played a huge role in their victory.
