Neymar vs. Ginter and 5 Key Battles in the Olympic Games Football Final
Brazil have only gotten better as this Olympic men's football tournament has progressed, and the hosts will play on Saturday for the chance to win their first-ever gold medal.
A considerable obstacle still lies in the Selecao's path, however, in the shape of formidable Germany.
Both football giants have progressed to the gold-medal match unbeaten, recovering from slow starts to thoroughly earn their place in the decider. Strong defences and dynamic attacking play have typified each of the nations' campaigns thus far.
Rogerio Micale's expectant home team will be hoping for another blockbuster performance from captain Neymar, who has come alive in the knockout stages. Opposite him will be Matthias Ginter, who has plenty of experience in stopping elite forwards from his time at Borussia Dortmund.
That clash will be key in deciding the fate of the gold-medal match, but the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Serge Gnabry, Renato Augusto and Sven Bender will also have their say as the Maracana Stadium gears up to host one of the most tantalising Olympic finals in living memory.
Nils Petersen vs. Marquinhos
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Nils Petersen has not enjoyed a vintage Olympics despite his brilliant goal haul, but he stepped up when it really counted for Germany. Having smashed five goals in the 10-0 rout against Fiji in Group C, he added his sixth with an incisive tap-in to finally break down brave Nigeria and seal his nation's place in the final.
The Freiburg striker has played a selfless role at the competition, sucking defenders into the centre before laying off for one of his young team-mates—usually Serge Gnabry or Max Meyer—to take advantage.
Brazil's defensive star Marquinhos in particular must remain wise to Petersen's efforts and make sure he cannot feed those explosive talents.
Gabriel Barbosa vs. Lukas Klostermann
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Two of the hottest talents at the 2016 Olympic Games go head-to-head in the final. Gabriel Barbosa and Lukas Klostermann have both been linked with moves to the Premier League, and the gold-medal match is a high-profile audition for each player.
Klostermann has enjoyed a fine Games on the left of Germany's defence, operating efficiently down the wing and even getting forward to score, as he proved by opening the scoring against Nigeria. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with Bild (h/t TalkSport) affirming that Arsenal are keen to sign the 20-year-old prospect.
He will face the toughest challenge yet, though, against the electrifying Gabigol, who worked down the right wing to devastating effect as Brazil put Honduras to the sword.
The Santos player has netted twice at the Olympics, and with the likes of Leicester and Arsenal following him closely (per the Sun and the Daily Mail), he will look to finish the tournament with a bang.
Renato Augusto vs. Sven Bender
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Both Brazil and Germany chose to use one of their overage picks in the midfield engine room, and it is easy to see why.
Renato Augusto has been a solid, dependable presence anchoring the team from the middle, sitting just in front of the defence and breaking up opposition attacks at the source.
Borussia Dortmund's Sven Bender, meanwhile, has performed a similar task alongside twin brother Lars, helping Germany keep control of the ball and break away fast when the defence is stretched.
Renato Augusto and Bender know each other well, having shared several years together in the Bundesliga, while Lars will certainly pass some tips down to his brother after featuring in the Bayer Leverkusen team with the current Beijing Guoan midfielder.
Both finalists will be desperate to control the tempo in the Maracana, and this battle could go a long way in deciding who enjoys the lion's share of the ball.
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Serge Gnabry vs. Zeca
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Alongside Brazil's brilliant forwards, Arsenal youngster Serge Gnabry has been one of the stars of the Games so far with his incisive breaks off the left wing. The forward has hit six goals so far to lead the scoring charts alongside Petersen and looks to be Germany's main danger man going into the final.
Having suffered so much with injury and after an abortive loan spell at West Brom, the 21-year-old finally looks set to reach the potential he showed at the Emirates Stadium as a youngster.
Nullifying his presence out wide therefore represents a tough ask for Brazil's full-back, Zeca.
The Santos man has shown his versatility by moving to the right in order to accommodate Douglas Santos on the opposite flank and loves to maraud forward in the best Brazilian tradition. But he may have to moderate his incursions lest Germany unleash their rapid winger on the counter, as they have done to devastating effect over the course of this tournament.
Neymar vs. Matthias Ginter
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Neymar and Matthias Ginter share a peculiar twist of fate dating back to the 2014 World Cup. Both were non-playing witnesses to Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Luiz Felipe Scolari's men in that year's semi-finals—Ginter as an unused substitute and Neymar suffering from the sidelines having been injured in the previous round.
Now the pair will go head-to-head as two of the standard-bearers and most experienced figures in the gold-medal match.
Having failed to score in the group stage, Neymar has netted three times in the knockout phase and shrugged off an early knock against Honduras to find his best form.
Ginter has also improved immeasurably as the Games have progressed. After conceding five times in the opening two games, Horst Hrubesch's team have racked up three consecutive clean sheets, and the 22-year-old Dortmund player is up for the challenge of a lifetime as he seeks to mark Brazil's captain out of the game.
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