WC 2010: Argentina/Germany quarter-final match preview

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Argentina and Germany meet in Cape Town on Saturday in what will be a rematch of their 2006 quarter-final, each of them hoping to grab a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, said in a preview of the match.
With five world titles between them, Argentina (or La Albiceleste as they are called) and Germany are two of the worldâ?s most successful national outfits.
Expectation is high ahead of their duel, especially with both sides in such vibrant form and memories of Germany's tense penalty shoot-out triumph four years ago still fresh.
Uzbekistan referee Ravshan Irmatov will be in charge of the match which will throw up Lionel Messi of Argentina and Philipp Lahm of Germany (known in soccer circles as Die Nationalmannschaft) as the players to watch.
Argentina have been in flawless form to date, winning all three of their group games before disposing of Mexico in the Round of 16.
Lowly-rated before the tournament, coach Diego Maradona seems to have identified his best line-up -- one that naturally includes Messi, who was a mere bit-part player at Germany 2006.
The Argentinians can also take heart from their 1-0 defeat of the Germans in a March friendly in Munich, the only goal of the game coming from Gonzalo Higuain, who has been in scintillating form in South Africa.
In the last eight for an amazing 15th time in a row, Germany won Group D despite a surprise reverse against Serbia.
Impressive against both Australia and Ghana, Joachim Low's side turned on the power against England in the last round, swamping them 4-1 in a superb display of attacking football.
These two soccer giants have met five times before in World Cup history with the Germans holding sway with three victories to Argentinaâ?s solitary win in the Mexico 1986 Final.
The other game, a group match at England 1966, ended in a goalless draw.
In South Africa, three Argentine players are on yellow cards going into Saturday's match -- Mario Bolatti, Javier Mascherano and Gabriel Heinze, while Mesut Ozil, Cacau, Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller have been cautioned on the German side.
Players on both sides will therefore have to be careful because a further yellow card will see them watch the semi-final stage from the reserve bench.
"I'd love to be out on the pitch this time and put on a shirt and play.
It's a game we can't afford to lose but I wouldn't compare it to the 1986 Final.
Germany are a very tough side for sure.
They're more powerful than Mexico but we have the resources to beat them," boasted coach Maradona.
German attacker Miroslav Klose countered "Look at the names on paper and Argentina are stronger than us.
But it was the same with England.
They had more experience and bigger names but that didn't show on the pitch.
We have a great team and we can definitely go out and do what we did in our last game.
" Soccer pundits predict that the match will be massive and explosive.
"The 2006 game was the best I've ever seen and I hope Germany can do it again," an ardent Germany supporter said.
So the question is "Can Argentina exact revenge for their defeat four years ago or will the Germans make it to the semi-finals at their expense again?"