World Cup 2010: Argentina v Germany and Paraguay v Spain

After yesterday's slightly disappointing quarter-final between European and South American teams, let's hope that Germany and Argentina can rise to the occasion and give us a match of the same quality as when they met in the 1986 final, which was a classic, with Argentina edging it 3-2 to claim the trophy. Fingers crossed we don't witness something akin to the 1990 final between these sides, with it's dour football and dirty challenges. For pure entertainment value it could even be worth hoping for a repeat of their 2006 quarter-final, with it's mass brawl - sorry, handbags - after the Germans won on penalties
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It's a terrible start for the Argentinians when after only three minutes they go a goal behind. The Germans, who have started brightly, won a free kick 30 yards out on the left. Bastian Schweinsteiger took it and swung in a fabulous ball towards the penalty spot. The Argentina defence was still asleep and Thomas Müller stole in to delicately glance the ball home from seven yards out. It was a simple goal courtesy of a great ball into the box, but Sergio Romero in the Argentina goal must take some of the blame as he started to come for the ball and didn't anticipate Müller's run
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Germany keep piling on the pressure and just two minutes later could go two up, but Romero is awake this time and comes out to smother the ball
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Argentina are woeful for the first 20 odd minutes and they don't win their first corner until the 18th minute. Lionel Messi finally gets going and plays a great ball through the inside right position and into the box for Carlos Tevez. However, Germany's keeper Manuel Neuer bravely comes out to smother the ball as Tevez races in
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Thirty six minutes in and following a poor free-kick by Messi the ball comes out to Javier Mascherano who plays a lovely throughball down the inside left channel into the area to Tevez. He then plays a square ball to Gonzalo Higuaín who's waiting all alone just outside the six yard box and rolls the ball into the empty net ...
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... but the flag had already gone up as Tevez, Higuain and Messi were all offside by a good yard or two when Mascherano played the ball through. The well organised German defence did it's job
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Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze and Germany striker Miroslav Klose go up for a header Photograph: Francois-Xavier Marit/AFP/Getty Images

Argentina put the disappointment of the disallowed goal behind them and start to get more of the possession. Early in the second half, Tevez receives the ball courtesy of the chest of Maxi Rodríguez and swivels before hitting a pearler of a shot with his left boot. The ball is goal-bound until it hits the face of Per Mertesacker who is standing only a couple of yards away. That's gotta hurt
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The fans are now enjoying a lively game of football with both teams steaming forward whenever the chance takes them. There are definitely more goals in this game
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And one comes in the 68th minute when Lukas Podolski steams down the left side of midfield where there's plenty of space because Nicolás Otamendi is caught up in the German half. He makes it into the penalty area unimpeded where Romero has to come out and cover the angle, but as he does that the German midfielder rolls the ball inside to Miroslav Klose who controls it, then stabs it into the gaping net from close range
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That goal means that Germany are in touching distance of the semi-finals
Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

That's not going to stop Tevez who continues to battle away up front
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The writing is now on the wall as Germany go three up in the 74th minute. The goal was made by a brilliant run by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is having an absolutely fantastic match. He receives the ball from a short corner, bursts into the area and his speed beats Ángel di María. He then feints a pass which totally takes out Javier Pastore, before pulling the ball back from the byline ...
Photograph: Nic Bothma/EPA

... to a grateful Arne Friedrich who is waiting to stroke it into the empty net from close range. It's starting to look a bit like a rout
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Messi has been extremely ineffectual today. The threat posed by the world's best player has been totally snuffed out by the German tactics. Well done Mr Löw, job done
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With two minutes to go the rout is complete when Klose scores his second of the game and equals compatriot Gerd Müller's tally of 14 World Cup goals. He only needs one more goal to equal Ronaldo's record of 15. What will make this all the sweeter for the German striker is that this is his 100th international appearance, and he becomes only the sixth German international to reach a century
Photograph: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters

Two minutes later, the final whistle goes and Argentina are out. A sad Diego Maradona, who has been incredibly entertaining during the tournament, hugs his daughter Dalma
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It's not just the manager who is hurting, as a lone Argentinian fan stands forlornly in the empty stands
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Meanwhile, Schweinsteiger, who was the man-of-the-match, celebrates an amazing result following another wonderful German performance. After that show and the similar fashion in which they tore apart England, they must now be one of the favourites to win the tournament
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Over in Johannesburg, it's Europe v South America part 3 as European Championship holders and pre-tournament favourites Spain take on Paraguay. So far it's 2-0 to the European sides with Holland and Germany triumphing over Brazil and Argentina. Can the Spanish make it a hat-trick for Europe?
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The first half an hour of the match is a tight and cagey affair with neither team wanting to make the first move for fear of making a mistake Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

So much so that Carles Puyol and Nelson Haedo Valdez compare hair-dos Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Finally something exciting - good news, the ball's in the net. Bad news, it's been disallowed. It is a massive let-off for Spain. Darío Verón picks out Valdez in the area with a perfect diagonal ball and the Paraguay striker rifles it past Iker Casillas. However, it's ruled out for offside. Paraguay will be peeved to find out that it wasn't Valdez who was offside but his team-mate Óscar Cardozo
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As the teams come out for the second half, Fernando Torres, who is misfiring again, receives a reassuring arm around the shoulder from his captain Casillas
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However, it doesn't seem to do much good as he is replaced by Cesc Fabregas only 11 minutes later
Photograph: Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters

Paraguay's Justo Villar keeps a watchful eye on the flight of the Jubulani ball just to make sure it flies over the bar
Photograph: Howard Burditt/Reuters

Just before the hour mark, Óscar Cardozo goes down in the Spanish box as Gerard Pique clung onto his arm before hauling him down. Penalty! Cardozo gets up and takes the kick himself. Though it's safe to say he'll wish he hadn't done, as his kick is poorly struck and Casillas is down quickly to smother it. What a wasted opportunity
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Paraguay are still reeling from that miss when Spain immediately break and David Villa bursts into the Paraguay area where he goes down under the clumsy challenge of Antolín Alcaraz. Penalty! Alcaraz was the last man but he is lucky to escape with just a booking rather than a red card
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Xabi Alonso slots it to the keeper's right and into the net, but Spain's celebrations are cut short as his penalty has to be taken again because some of the Spanish players had encroached the penalty area
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Amazing! Alonso puts his spot kick to the other side but Villar guesses correctly and dives to his left to block the ball
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Still amazing!! In the resulting scramble, Cesc Fabregas gets a touch on the ball and tries to go around Villar but is brought down by the keeper. However, the referee either doesn't see it or thinks three penalties in the space of three minutes is more than enough
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Just seven minutes remaining on the clock and the deadlock is finally broken by Spain. Luck plays rather a large part in it. Iniesta bursts through the middle and like wasps attracted to jam, the Paraguay defenders are drawn to him. This leaves Pedro unmarked on the edge of the box and, having been found by the diminutive midfielder, Pedro fires a shot goalwards but hits the post. The ball runs to David Villa who controls it before firing it back towards the goal. His shot also hits the post and then rolls across the face of the goal before hitting the other post and rolling into the net
Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The Spanish forward then celebrates by running off and diving on the ground ...
Photograph: Themba Hadebe/AP

... before being pounced on by his joyous team-mates
Photograph: Bernat Armague/AP

The final whistle goes and Cardozo, who missed the penalty for Paraguay, is inconsolable as Paraguay crash out of the tournament. So it'll be Germany v Spain on Wednesday. But going on today's displays, it's hard to see how Spain can overcome the fast and fluid German team
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