Messi is now on form. But Germany enters the World Cup final as favourite against Argentina thanks to the best midfield in world football and quality in all departments across the pitch.
Germany will face Argentina in the World Cup decider at the Maracana on Monday morning.
Germany beat Algeria and France in the knockout stages before thrashing Brazil 7-1 to reach the final, while Argentina beat Switzerland and Belgium before edging the Netherlands on penalties.
Can the ever-reliable Germany beat South American hopefuls Argentina to win the World Cup? Here are five reasons behind Germany's favoritism. There are some reason behind the Germany win the world cup 2014 against Agentina.
Powerful midfield:
There is a powerful midfield in Germany. Arguably the best in the business, Germany's midfield plays at pace, picking clever passes to work its way around any defence.Germany's climb to the top has come in large part to the Bundesliga's rise in stature, with Bayern Munich providing the bulk of players to the national team, fostering a keen understanding among players.
Toni Kroos has shone in this tournament, playing both provider and scorer thanks to his awesome movement on and off the ball, as well as a wicked shot from distance.
Mesut Ozil has his critics, but he remains a crucial cog in Germany's attacks with one of the keenest eyes for a pass and ability to keep the ball moving at a high tempo.
Meanwhile, Sami Khedira is enjoying a resurgence after a long spell out injured, and alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger has been superb as Germany's defensive pivot.
Lots of star player:
Germany's strength, in comparison to almost the entire World Cup field this year, lies in its depth across all facets of the team.
There is no one star player in the German line-up, with key players dotted all over the pitch.
While Argentina relies to a large extent on Lionel Messi, Brazil on Neymar and the Netherlands on Arjen Robben, Germany has match-winners aplenty in Kroos, Ozil, Thomas Mueller and Philipp Lahm, to name just a few.
The wealth of talent at Germany's disposal means opposition teams have had a far tougher time strategising on who to mark out of the contest, with plenty of German players capable of doing the business at crunch time.
Plenty of guile and street-smarts:
German football has been characterised through the ages by one abiding quality: knowing how to win.
Three
World Cup titles and three European Championships is testament to that
quality, and part of that comes from doing whatever is required to
secure the win.The aforementioned class, flair and panache in midfield can only carry Germany so far, as it found out in encouraging but ultimately failed World Cup campaigns in 2006 and 2010.
In the experienced Miroslav Klose and the combative Mueller, Germany has the cutthroat edge that, when allied with its superb men in the middle, makes it a daunting opponent and at times unbackable favourite.
Klose's experience has seen him defy his 36 years of age to constantly get into the right positions to add the finishing touches to moves, while Mueller specialises in the scrappy goal, knocking home deflected efforts and scoring from set pieces.
An adaptable defence
Germany's defence looked shaky at times in the group stages, initially deploying a back line of four centre-backs, meaning a general lack of pace across the board.The lack of specialist full-backs saw captain Lahm brought back to his proper position on the right, which has added greater fluidity to the defence.
At full strength, Germany can adapt its defence to any opponent, with Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels partnering together when needing to track quick forwards.
Waiting in the wings is the giant Per Mertesacker - a slower option to Boateng - but with Hummels in support, the Arsenal centre-back brings a superb reading of the game into the mix, nipping attacks in the bud higher up the pitch with a quicker partner mopping up in support.
The world's best goalkeeper:
Whatever criticisms have been levelled at the German defence, Neuer has ensured the gaps have been plugged with some outstanding displays.
His ability to rush out of the penalty area and mop up the few mistakes his backline makes is unmatched, and his command of his area is exemplary.
Neuer's decision making is also excellent and is rarely caught out incorrectly choosing whether to catch or punch crosses under pressure.
He tends to make fewer saves than most keepers due to the defence in front of him. But when called upon, Neuer's stature and quick mind constantly sees him make the crucial stops to keep his team in the game.