FIFA World Cup 2014: The final will be a Messi vs Mueller contest, says Baichung

The Netherlands blanked sorry Brazil 3-0 to take the third place, whereas, Argentina and Germany will lock horns in the final on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with Aditi Tyagi of Zee Media, former Indian skipper Baichung Bhutia said the final is a game between Lionel Messi and Thomas Mueller. He also added that Brazil were too dependent on Neymar as the hosts succumbed to their second successive loss.

Aditi Tyagi

The Netherlands blanked sorry Brazil 3-0 to take the third place, whereas, Argentina and Germany will lock horns in the final on Sunday. In an exclusive chat with Aditi Tyagi of Zee Media, former Indian skipper Baichung Bhutia said the final is a game between Lionel Messi and Thomas Mueller. He also added that Brazil were too dependant on Neymar as the hosts succumbed to their second successive loss. Excerpts from the conversation: So what are your thoughts on the final? Is it a clash between Messi and Mueller? It will be the German attack versus Argentina`s defence. It`s the final and it has lots of significance, it will be an intense clash. And yes it is a clash between Mueller and Messi. Both will dictate terms in their own way with their respective teams` play surrounding around them. Brazil couldn`t score against the Netherlands and it was their second successive loss. Your thoughts? Brazil were too dependant on Neymar. It was that way since the start of the tournament. Moreover the 7-1 loss had an huge impact on them. They couldn`t recover from the shock and it showed against Netherlands. The Dutch were way ahead and 3-0 is a good scoreline to sign off with. Both the finalists have won the World Cup a long time ago. How much it means for them to break the jinx? Yes, Argentina won the World Cup 28 years ago and Germany won it last in 1990. That`s a gap of 24 years. So its been a long time for both these nations. They will be hungry to win the trophy and they have the opportunity to do that. Can Mueller respond to Messi`s threat? Mueller has been Germany`s best player. He has five goals and can equal James Rodriguez`s tally in this World Cup for the Golden Boot. Messi holds a big threat as he can change the course of the game all by himself. But Mueller will be equally threatening. Messi has four goals and the fight for the top scorer hasn`t finished yet. Whom are you rooting for in the finals? I am supporting Germany. They have been an amazing side to watch over the years and have been the most consistent team in the world in major tournaments. They play collectively and can see off any side`s threat. Argentina will be a tough side to break down but Germany should win the trophy this time.