“The narrative is crafted: finally, Germany has been rewarded for its fußballing makeover. More specifically, the narrative unspools this way: over the last decade, Germany have transformed themselves from a stolidly “German” side of efficiency (and whatever other cliches apply) to one of exciting open football, thanks to revamping its entire development system. Like any narrative of this magnitude, there’s necessarily simplification and truth shading. However, dots of truth do indeed clot the cloth. Yet what’s even more remarkable is that the entire narrative of German’s makeover hangs on the vicissitudes of single football matches. Really, in the minds of us fußball lovers, the whole thing was contingent on what happened at the Maracanã on Sunday night. So much depends … Indeed.” Bundesliga Fanatic

“Over the past couple of seasons, it has become a common sight to see Bayern München crush all the record books. At the start of the World Cup, the Bavarians had 14 players featuring in the World Cup, 7 of whom played for Germany. Over the course of the tournament, these players have made waves and grabbed several of the headlines all over the world. Here’s a look at some memorable stats just pertaining to Bayern München’s players.” Bundesliga Fanatic