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Germany plays host to Argentina in what should be an exciting contest. The last time these sides met was in 2014, as Argentina had the upper hand over Die Mannschaft in Dusseldorf by 2-4. A few months before that encounter, a Mario Gotze strike in extra time won the World Cup for the Germans, breaking Argentinean hearts around the world.
Although it is a top-notch friendly, both sides will be missing important players. Die Mannschaft will be without the services of Ilkay Gundogan, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rudiger, Timo Werner, etc, due to various ailments. Meanwhile, Argentina will be missing the services of key players due to the Copa Libertadores, but most importantly Lionel Messi will not take to the pitch due to a suspension.
Both sides have met in three FIFA World Cup finals - 1986, 1990, and 2014, and Die Mannschaft have had the upper hand on 2 of those occasions, thanks to 1-0 scorelines. However, La Albiceleste has the bragging rights when it comes to overall wins, with 10 triumphs in 22 encounters, in comparison to Germany's 8 wins.
Argentina also has the upper hand with regards friendlies between both sides, with 4 wins out of their last 5 contests, and a draw.
The key players to watch in this encounter are Serge Gnabry and Lautaro Martinez. The German has scored 5 goals in 5 encounters for his country in 2019, and he has a remarkable 9 goals in 10 appearances for Die Mannschaft. He has also scored in his last 3 starts for Joachim Low's team.
Lautaro Martinez, on the other hand, has started in 6 of Argentina's last seven games, and he scored 5 times in those encounters. In his last game for La Albiceleste against Mexico, he scored a first-half hattrick.
Keen-eyed fans will be looking at the performance of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, after his open desire to play more for Die Mannschaft was criticised by Germany's captain, Manuel Neuer. That sparked some controversy with Ter Stegen slamming Neuer's comments as inappropriate.
Where to watch
US: ESPN+
Livestream: fuboTV
Kickoff: 7.45 pm (BST)
Date: October 9, 2019
