World Cup 2014 – Matchday 7 – PlayON Picks

After Holland clinched third place with an easy win over Brazil last night, the World Cup finally comes to its conclusion this evening. Having hammered the hosts 7-1 in their previous match, Germany’s confidence could barely be higher, though Joachim Low’s side are up against a very resilient Argentina backline tonight. For the final time, then, we cast an eye over PlayON’s World Cup Game, with the hours ticking down until this evening’s 6pm deadline:

For the World Cup Final, PlayON have a £1,000 GUARANTEED POT on offer. You can enter up to three different teams into the game, with the deadline for entries closing at 18.00 this evening. Enter the £1,000 GUARANTEED GAME here.

Goalkeeper – Manuel Neuer
There’s little between both sides in terms of defensive records heading into Sunday’s encounter – Germany have shipped four goals over the tournament so far, whilst Argentina have conceded three on three occasions. Whilst Joachim Low’s side have racked up the goals, the South Americans have struggled in the final third and with three 1-0 wins and a goalless draw in their last five matches, are clearly toiling. Priced at just £8.2m, Neuer is the cheapest of the two keepers for the weekend, with Sergio Romero just slightly more expensive at £8.5m.

Defender – Marcos Rojo
Available for £9.0m, the left-back is the third cheapest option amongst Alejandro Sabella’s first-choice backline. Rojo has already found the net once over his five appearances and has offered plenty of threat going forward – he has fired eight attempts on goal so far, more than any defender from either side. With two goals to his name so far, Mats Hummels (£9.1m) is the main man for Germany at the back but with doubts remaining over the knee problem that forced him off in midweek, the injury situation requires monitoring. If Hummels to make it, Per Mertesacker, at £8.7m, looks poised for a start and would offers the cheapest route into Low’s backline.

Midfielder – Toni Kroos
A semi-final double against Brazil has resulted in a price hike to £9.5m, ensuring the Bayern man is the most expensive midfielder on offer for the World Cup Final. Now up to a couple of goals and three assists for the tournament, Kroos’ form in the centre of the park is difficult to ignore, however, and his role in “the hole” affords us a route into a side that have racked up 17 goals in their six matches so far. With Angel di Maria looking set to miss out through injury again, Sabella’s side have little in terms of attacking midfield options for Sunday’s game. The PlayON Scoring Matrix, which rewards defensive actions such as tackles and interceptions, seems to suit Javier Mascherano, though, and, at £9.4m, his all-action displays should ensure his points tally keeps ticking over.

Forward – Thomas Muller
With five goals and three assists over his first six appearances, Muller is the standout option amongst Germany’s attacking options. Unsurprisingly, the Bayern man is the costliest forward around at £10.0m but, as he’s shown so far, you get what you pay for – only once has he drawn a blank in the tournament. Team-mate Miroslav Klose (£9.5m) is expected to be handed his third successive start but his tendency to be subbed off around the hour mark dents his appeal, bearing in mind the PlayON Scoring Matrix rewards players for every five minutes on the field. For Argentina, this could finally be Lionel Messi’s chance to step out of the shadow of Diego Maradona and lead his side to World Cup glory. Available for £9.7m, there’s no doubt he’s struggling for form but the South Americans will be hoping he’s saving his best until last as they look to clinch the trophy for the first time since 1986.

The deadline for the final arrives at 18.00 today, so head on over to www.playon.co and get your team selected for the £1,000 Guaranteed game.