Angel Di Maria scored once and assisted thrice as Argentina revenged their 2014 World Cup final loss to Germany when it mattered less.
‘La Albiceleste’ secured a 4-2 win in an international friendly in Dusseldorf on Wednesday night, with only players from the Barclays Premier League getting among the goals.
Coach Joachim Loew named only four of the German team which started the Maracana final on 13 July.
Di Maria set up Sergio Aguero, Erik Lamela and Federico Fernandez to take the visitors’ lead to 3-0 before adding the fourth in a game filled with chances at both ends.
‘Die Nacionalmanschaft’ trailed 4-0 few minutes after the break but Andre Schurrle pulled a goal back moments after Di maria’s strike before Fernandez turned a Mario Gotze effort into his own goal.
Manchester City’s striker Aguero opened scoring from close range on 20 minutes after receiving a superb curled delivery from Di Maria.
The ex-Real Madrid man then dazzled his way to the byline before lifting the ball back to Tottenham’s Lamela to place perfectly into the top left-hand corner with a side-footed volley.
Swansea’s Fernandez made it 3-0 for new coach Gerardo Martinez’s side, arriving on time to head Di Maria’s cross on to the far post into the net.
The Manchester United new record signing capped an excellent performance with a solo run from the right before dinking the ball delicately past the onrushing substitute goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Schurrle pulled one back for Germany after being left in space in the centre to volley at Sergio Romero. The Chelsea midfielder gathered the rebound to convert on his second try.
Gotze’s wayward effort was then deflected into his own goal by Fernandez to reduce to hosts’ deficit by two goals.
