The Germany national team secured their place in the final of the Confederations Cup in Russia through a 4-1 win against Mexico. On Sunday, Joachim Löw’s men will come up against Chile - it will be the ninth time the two nations have met (July 2nd, 20:00 CEST). The two teams have already faced each other in this year’s tournament, as the reigning World Champions and Copa America winners played out a 1-1 draw in Kasan. Enjoy all the best facts ahead of Sunday’s final.
HEAD TO HEAD: Germany and Chile have met eight times on the international stage. Five of these encounters have been won by the DFB Team, with the South Americans winning twice. The only draw came in the last meeting on the 22nd of June in this year’s Confed Cup second group-stage tie. Out of these eight matches, four have been competitive – three of which have been World Cup knockout rounds (1962, 1974, 1982). Germany like to score against Chile. While La Roja have failed to in three matches against Germany, Die Mannschaft have found the back of the net in all eight games against the South Americans.
THE MOST RECENT ENCOUNTER: In the 1-1 draw in the group stage, Chile’s Alexis Sanchez netted to become his country’s all-time top goalscorer. Lars Stindl equalised for Germany just before half time (42’) with his second goal of the tournament.
GERMANY’S PATH TO THE FINAL: Joachim Löw’s side topped their group thanks to two wins (3-2 vs. Australia & 3-1 vs. Cameroon) and a draw (1-1 vs. Chile). In the semi-final against Mexico, the DFB Team started quickly and took the lead through a Leon Goretzka quick-fire double (6’ & 8’). Timo Werner added to the scoreline after almost an hour with his third goal of the competition. Mexico netted a late consolation as Marco Fabian scored from distance (89’), but substitute Amin Younes restored Germany’s three-goal advantage in stoppage time.
CHILE’S PENALTY-SAVING HERO, BRAVO: After 120 goalless minutes, Chile booked their place in the final after beating Portugal 3-0 in a penalty shootout. La Roja have their goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to thank in particular, as the Manchester City ‘keeper stopped all three Portugal penalties. On the South American’s side, Bundesliga players Arturo Vidal and Charles Aranguiz held their nerve to convert, as did main attacking threat Alexis Sanchez.
SERIES AND TRENDS I: Germany are unbeaten in 14 matches (eleven wins, three draws) – their longest unbeaten run for three years. Between August 2013 and July 2014, Die Mannschaft didn't taste defeat for 18 games and were eventually crowned World Champions. Chile have only lost one of their last nine competitive matches (four wins, four draws) – a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in World Cup qualifying on March 23rd. However, all three of their most recent games have ended in level (against Portugal, Australia and Germany). In La Roja’s history, they’ve only ever drawn four matches in a row, this was in June 1998. Of their last 14 internationals, Chile have lost two, drawn six and won six.
SERIES AND TRENDS II: Germany haven’t conceded in the first half in 16 of their last 21 matches, allowing their opponents only five first-half goal in those games. However, at this year's Confederations Cup, Joachim Löw’s men haven’t yet been able to keep a clean sheet. A longer run without a clean sheet was recorded between September 2015 and May 2016, when the DFB Team conceded at least once in eight consecutive games.
PURE EFFICIENCY: With a conversion rate of 20%, Germany are the most efficient team in the tournament, while they are also the top scorers (eleven). Chile have converted eight percent of their chances in the competition so far, scoring four goals.
QUICK STARTERS: In nine of the last 13 internationals, Die Mannschaft have netted in the first half. In seven of these 13 matches, they scored at least twice before the break (20 in total).
MASTERS OF DEFENCE: With just two goals conceded this tournament, Chile have the best defence alongside Portugal.
VERSATILE VIDAL: FC Bayern’s Arturo Vidal has been involved in 27 shots on goal, while he has also gotten into the most challenges (74) – both the highest in the Cup so far.
50 COMPETITIVE DEFEATS POSSIBLE: If Germany were to lose, it would be the DFB Team’s 50th in a competitive game.
BIGGEST WIN: Germany celebrated their biggest win over Chile 35 years ago. In 1982, Die Mannschaft triumphed 4-1 over La roja. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge played a decisive role on that day, netting a hattrick. The fourth goal was scored by Uwe Reinders, while Gustavo Moscoso got the late consolation for the South Americans.
CHILE’S BIGGEST WINS: Chile have celebrated the biggest wins in their history in the past two years. By winning the Copa America in 2015, they secured the first title in their nation’s history. The year after at the Copa America Centenario, they successfully defended their crown. In both finals they defeated neighbours Argentina on penalties after 120 goalless minutes. At a World Cup, their biggest success came in 1962 on home soil, when they reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by Brazil, who went on to lift the trophy.
COACH: Taking over from Jorge Sampaoli, Antonio Pizzi has been Chile’s coach since January 2016, and he lifted the Copa America in his first year in charge. Pizzi was born in Santa Fe, Argentina, but played for the Spanish national team as a player (22 games, eight goals). The former striker played for outfits in Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Portugal. With Barcelona, he won La Liga in 1998, the Copa del Rey twice (1997, 1998) and the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1997), amongst other triumphs. In 1996 under Jupp Heynckes at Teneriffa, he was the top scorer in the Spanish first division. As a coach he’s worked in South America, Spain and Mexico. In 2010, he won the Chilean championship with Universidad Catolica.
BUNDESLIGA REPRESENTATION: Among Chile’s 23 man squad at the Confederations Cup, only seven of them play their club football in their home country. Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich) and Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Levekusen) are their only two players who currently ply their trade in Germany. However, the likes of Gonzalo Jara, Marcelo Diaz and Eduardo Vargas all have experience in Germany’s top flight. Jara played for Mainz 05 between 2014 and 2015 (23 games), Vargas was at TSG Hoffenheim from 2015 to the end of 2016 (29 games, two goals) and Diaz helped Hamburger SV stay up in their relegation play-off second leg against KSC with a free kick in stoppage time. He also featured in 17 Bundesliga games for HSV but didn’t score.
WORLD RANKINGS: In the official FIFA World Rankings, Chile occupy fourth place – one spot behind Germany.
TEAMMATES: Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich have been teammates at FC Bayern since 2015. Together they won the double in 2016, as well as the league in 2017. Charles Aranguiz has been a Bayer Leverkusen player since 2015, so he’ll come up against club teammates Benjamin Henrichs, Julian Brandt and Bernd Leno on Sunday. Finally, Alexis Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi are teammates at Arsenal, where they lifted the FA Cup together this season.
THE KRESTOVSKY STADIUM: The stadium, which will host the final, was completed on April 22nd 2017 after ten years of construction. It has a capacity of 68,134 and is where Zenit St. Petersburg play their home games. It will be one of the twelve stadiums where the 2018 World Cup will be played, while it may also be used again at the 2020 European Championships.
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The Germany national team secured their place in the final of the Confederations Cup in Russia through a 4-1 win against Mexico. On Sunday, Joachim Löw’s men will come up against Chile - it will be the ninth time the two nations have met (July 2nd, 20:00 CEST). The two teams have already faced each other in this year’s tournament, as the reigning World Champions and Copa America winners played out a 1-1 draw in Kasan. Enjoy all the best facts ahead of Sunday’s final.
HEAD TO HEAD: Germany and Chile have met eight times on the international stage. Five of these encounters have been won by the DFB Team, with the South Americans winning twice. The only draw came in the last meeting on the 22nd of June in this year’s Confed Cup second group-stage tie. Out of these eight matches, four have been competitive – three of which have been World Cup knockout rounds (1962, 1974, 1982). Germany like to score against Chile. While La Roja have failed to in three matches against Germany, Die Mannschaft have found the back of the net in all eight games against the South Americans.
THE MOST RECENT ENCOUNTER: In the 1-1 draw in the group stage, Chile’s Alexis Sanchez netted to become his country’s all-time top goalscorer. Lars Stindl equalised for Germany just before half time (42’) with his second goal of the tournament.
GERMANY’S PATH TO THE FINAL: Joachim Löw’s side topped their group thanks to two wins (3-2 vs. Australia & 3-1 vs. Cameroon) and a draw (1-1 vs. Chile). In the semi-final against Mexico, the DFB Team started quickly and took the lead through a Leon Goretzka quick-fire double (6’ & 8’). Timo Werner added to the scoreline after almost an hour with his third goal of the competition. Mexico netted a late consolation as Marco Fabian scored from distance (89’), but substitute Amin Younes restored Germany’s three-goal advantage in stoppage time.
CHILE’S PENALTY-SAVING HERO, BRAVO: After 120 goalless minutes, Chile booked their place in the final after beating Portugal 3-0 in a penalty shootout. La Roja have their goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to thank in particular, as the Manchester City ‘keeper stopped all three Portugal penalties. On the South American’s side, Bundesliga players Arturo Vidal and Charles Aranguiz held their nerve to convert, as did main attacking threat Alexis Sanchez.
SERIES AND TRENDS I: Germany are unbeaten in 14 matches (eleven wins, three draws) – their longest unbeaten run for three years. Between August 2013 and July 2014, Die Mannschaft didn't taste defeat for 18 games and were eventually crowned World Champions. Chile have only lost one of their last nine competitive matches (four wins, four draws) – a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in World Cup qualifying on March 23rd. However, all three of their most recent games have ended in level (against Portugal, Australia and Germany). In La Roja’s history, they’ve only ever drawn four matches in a row, this was in June 1998. Of their last 14 internationals, Chile have lost two, drawn six and won six.
SERIES AND TRENDS II: Germany haven’t conceded in the first half in 16 of their last 21 matches, allowing their opponents only five first-half goal in those games. However, at this year's Confederations Cup, Joachim Löw’s men haven’t yet been able to keep a clean sheet. A longer run without a clean sheet was recorded between September 2015 and May 2016, when the DFB Team conceded at least once in eight consecutive games.
PURE EFFICIENCY: With a conversion rate of 20%, Germany are the most efficient team in the tournament, while they are also the top scorers (eleven). Chile have converted eight percent of their chances in the competition so far, scoring four goals.
QUICK STARTERS: In nine of the last 13 internationals, Die Mannschaft have netted in the first half. In seven of these 13 matches, they scored at least twice before the break (20 in total).
MASTERS OF DEFENCE: With just two goals conceded this tournament, Chile have the best defence alongside Portugal.
VERSATILE VIDAL: FC Bayern’s Arturo Vidal has been involved in 27 shots on goal, while he has also gotten into the most challenges (74) – both the highest in the Cup so far.
50 COMPETITIVE DEFEATS POSSIBLE: If Germany were to lose, it would be the DFB Team’s 50th in a competitive game.
BIGGEST WIN: Germany celebrated their biggest win over Chile 35 years ago. In 1982, Die Mannschaft triumphed 4-1 over La roja. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge played a decisive role on that day, netting a hattrick. The fourth goal was scored by Uwe Reinders, while Gustavo Moscoso got the late consolation for the South Americans.
CHILE’S BIGGEST WINS: Chile have celebrated the biggest wins in their history in the past two years. By winning the Copa America in 2015, they secured the first title in their nation’s history. The year after at the Copa America Centenario, they successfully defended their crown. In both finals they defeated neighbours Argentina on penalties after 120 goalless minutes. At a World Cup, their biggest success came in 1962 on home soil, when they reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by Brazil, who went on to lift the trophy.
COACH: Taking over from Jorge Sampaoli, Antonio Pizzi has been Chile’s coach since January 2016, and he lifted the Copa America in his first year in charge. Pizzi was born in Santa Fe, Argentina, but played for the Spanish national team as a player (22 games, eight goals). The former striker played for outfits in Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Portugal. With Barcelona, he won La Liga in 1998, the Copa del Rey twice (1997, 1998) and the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1997), amongst other triumphs. In 1996 under Jupp Heynckes at Teneriffa, he was the top scorer in the Spanish first division. As a coach he’s worked in South America, Spain and Mexico. In 2010, he won the Chilean championship with Universidad Catolica.
BUNDESLIGA REPRESENTATION: Among Chile’s 23 man squad at the Confederations Cup, only seven of them play their club football in their home country. Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich) and Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Levekusen) are their only two players who currently ply their trade in Germany. However, the likes of Gonzalo Jara, Marcelo Diaz and Eduardo Vargas all have experience in Germany’s top flight. Jara played for Mainz 05 between 2014 and 2015 (23 games), Vargas was at TSG Hoffenheim from 2015 to the end of 2016 (29 games, two goals) and Diaz helped Hamburger SV stay up in their relegation play-off second leg against KSC with a free kick in stoppage time. He also featured in 17 Bundesliga games for HSV but didn’t score.
WORLD RANKINGS: In the official FIFA World Rankings, Chile occupy fourth place – one spot behind Germany.
TEAMMATES: Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich have been teammates at FC Bayern since 2015. Together they won the double in 2016, as well as the league in 2017. Charles Aranguiz has been a Bayer Leverkusen player since 2015, so he’ll come up against club teammates Benjamin Henrichs, Julian Brandt and Bernd Leno on Sunday. Finally, Alexis Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi are teammates at Arsenal, where they lifted the FA Cup together this season.
THE KRESTOVSKY STADIUM: The stadium, which will host the final, was completed on April 22nd 2017 after ten years of construction. It has a capacity of 68,134 and is where Zenit St. Petersburg play their home games. It will be one of the twelve stadiums where the 2018 World Cup will be played, while it may also be used again at the 2020 European Championships.
