Argentina or Germany? They are two teams England fans love to hate, but our writers know who they are backing. Do you?

Two of England's biggest rivals meet in the Maracana as Argentina face narrow favourites Germany



Argentina are chasing their third World Cup win; Germany their fourth



Should you support Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano et al... after all there are many similarities between English and Argentine footballing culture



Or should you go for the Germans, who are a force to be reckoned with under the tutelage of Joachim Low



As Argentina and Germany prepare to battle it out in the Maracana, who should you be cheering? ROB DRAPER is behind Lionel Messi and the South Americans, while IAN LADYMAN is backing Joachim Low and his team. Who will you be supporting?



There’s one easy reason to support Argentina: Lionel Messi.



The Holland manager, Louis van Gaal, had a plan to subdue him in the semi-final but in every other match so far Messi has been playing on a level far above the other 21 players on the pitch.



Perhaps the clip of the World Cup is Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama jokingly complaining to referee Nicola Rizzoli that he is giving Messi too many free-kicks.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch We're underdogs - Aguero

Horseplay: Vincent Enyeama and Lionel Messi share a moment during their group match

A cool head: Messi converts Argentina's first penalty to give them a lead that they would not relinquish Carrying the weight of a nation: Lionel Messi (left) and his team-mates charge after Maxi Rodriguez scored the winning penalty against Holland VIDEO All Star XI: Lionel Messi highlights

Three reasons to support Argentina

1 If it wasn’t for them, there would be no Evita.

2 They have a Harrods in Buenos Aires and there’s an Anglo-Argentine Society in London to promote better relations, apparently by holding BBQs (asados). Still not working though, is it?

3 They are not Germany and don’t send their wives down before breakfast to put towels on all the best sunloungers.

‘I know he makes your job hard,’ says Rizzoli. Enyeama just rolls his eyes, shakes his head and breaks into a broad smile. ‘He’s so good!’ he says.



When even the opposition goalkeeper can take pleasure in your brilliance, you have achieved something truly universal — something that can be appreciated beyond the allegiances of club and country.



But there’s another reason why England supporters should consider supporting Argentina. If you have any love of English fan culture and the ability our fans have to support teams through thick and thin, following home and away whatever the difficulty, then you will appreciate Argentinian football fans.



They have been by far the largest travelling contingent here, for obvious geographical reasons. They have also been by far the most passionate and vocal, with a range of chants and songs — mostly aimed at Brazil, but with admittedly one or two directed at England — that few countries, other than the home nations, would match.

Fervent fans: Argentina's support at the World Cup has been phenominal

Blonde ambition: Argentina fans pose before their semi-final... and they will be hoping for a similar outcome in the Maracana VIDEO We're underdogs - Aguero

I once saw Boca Juniors play at their home ground, the Bombonera, against their hated rivals River Plate. It was a calamity of a game for Boca, who lost 3-0 at home in what was their most important game of the season.



The River Plate supporters, all 10,000 of them, were revelling in the victory with 20 minutes to go. Having seen Spanish and Italian fans in similar circumstances, I had in mind a certain reaction, expecting the Boca supporters either to walk out or start hurling abuse or missiles at their team.



Instead, for a full 20 minutes, all 40,000 of them — from those in the posh seats to the terraces — stood and continuously chanted about how much they loved Boca and how they would never stop supporting them.

Spine tingling: The Bombonera has a partisan atmosphere all of its own

Talk about the passion: Diego Maradona celebrates a Boca goal against River Plate in 2006

It brings to mind England fans applauding the team at the end of this World Cup.



Only in Britain and Argentina do football fans behave like this. Despite our differences, we have much more in common than we think.

Good teams start tournaments well and get even better. Germany have managed both those things — as they often do — and that is why I think they will win this World Cup and why I would like them to.

Germany’s record in the opening games of World Cups is remarkable. They have won their first match in the last seven tournaments.

Compare that to the way England often seem to stumble into major championships and it begins to look even more impressive.

German teams know how to approach these tournaments, physically and mentally. Their big players come off long, taxing seasons with their clubs but manage to bring their true selves to the World Cup.

Strong start: Thomas Muller hits the fourth as Portugal were put to the sword

Powerhouse: German chancellor Angela Merkel was in jubilant mood in Salvador

Reasons to support Germany

1 If it wasn’t for them there would be no Dads’ Army or ’Allo ’Allo.

2 They invented some great kids’ stuff, including Gummy Bears and Fanta. Also, Germans wrote Grimms’ Fairy Tales — which are a great way to give your children nightmares after scoffing all those E numbers.

3 They are not Argentina and don’t want the Falklands (as far as we know).

Meanwhile, their bit-part players — the likes of Miroslav Klose, Mario Gotze and Lukas Podolski — do not become disenfranchised by the lack of a starting guarantee. They travel motivated, energetic and ready to contribute when called upon. In the most part, that’s what they do.

Look at Klose. Has there ever been a more absolute World Cup footballer?

Arguably, he has never been an A-list European striker. He has never been chased particularly hard by clubs in the Barclays Premier League, for example.

He is 36 now and playing for Lazio. But he scored a vital equaliser against Ghana with his first touch of this World Cup as a substitute and is now expected to start in the final.

A man for all seasons: Miroslav Klose hits Germany level against Ghana to rescue a point

Smells like team spirit: Lukas Podolski regularly tweets images of a delighted Germany squad behind closed doors

Things like that say much for talent and the knack of a goal-scorer but also for the understanding of tournament football that seems to come naturally to German players.

This is not a brilliant German football team. Only two or three — Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manuel Neuer and perhaps Philipp Lahm — would get into famous German teams of yore.

Nevertheless, they are talented enough in key areas and function brilliantly as a unit. They are managed shrewdly and without fuss by Joachim Low and are mentally resolute enough to cope with anything, as they showed in their semi-final against a Brazil team hyped to their eyeballs on false notions of destiny.

The last line of defence: Manuel Neuer has shown he is arguably the best keeper in the world

History beckons? Philipp Lahm will hope to follow Fritz Walter, Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus as German captains to lift the World Cup

One last thing that draws me to this German team is that, one day, this could be England.

Low doesn’t have a Messi or Ronaldo to call on. His team hasn’t been dragged along by God-given genius.