After the 7-1 bashing of hosts Brazil, Germany are firm favourites to win their fourth World Cup — their first outside Europe — on Sunday.

Curiously, though, teams that have inflicted the most severe hammerings in World Cup history have ended with disappointment, and the goal-happy Germans may well have scored all the goals in them against the Selecao and fire blanks in the final game with Argentina. More of saying: He who lives by the goals, die by the odd-goal!

We delve into the past to reveal why Argentina could be crowned champions on Sunday.

Holland 5 Spain 1

Brazil 2014 group stage

The Netherlands started their World Cup campaign thumping champions Spain 5-1 in the mother-of-all upset, with Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben scoring doubles apiece. They went on to top their group, and Spain, who were conceding at least 5 goals for the first time since 1963 when they were defeated in Madrid 6-2 by Scotland, crashed out.

World Cup fate of Holland: They lost to Argentina via penalty shootout at the semifinal stage.

Germany 4 Argentina 0

South Africa 2010 quarter final

Joachim Low’s men defeated Sunday’s opponent 4-0 with a brace from Miroslav Klose and one each from Thomas Muller and Arne Friedrich. Coached at the time by Diego Maradona, Argentina had been cruising in Johannesburg, Polokwane, and Bloemfontein before crash-landing in Cape Town to the Germans.

World Cup fate of Germany: They lost 1-0 in Durban to eventual champions, Spain.

Argentina 6 Serbia 0

Germany 2006 first round

Serbia and Montenegro suffered their heaviest defeat to Argentina in a one-sided game. Two goals from Maxi Rodriguez and one each from Esteban Cambiasso (after 25 successive passes), Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tevez, and Lionel Messi sent shock waves to the other World Cup favourites.

World Cup fate of Argentina: They lost to Germany 4-2 on penalties in the quarter final.

Germany 8 Saudi Arabia 0

Korea/Japan 2002 first round

Saudi Arabia goalkeeper, Mohammed Al-Deayea, retrieved the ball eight times from his own net after the Germans went goal-gaga in Sapporo.

Miroslav Klose bagged a hat-trick while Michael Ballack, Carsten Jancker, Thomas Linke, Oliver Bierhoff, and Bernd Schneider added to Al-Deayea’s misery.

World Cup fate of Germany: Germany got all the way to the final but lost to Brazil 2-0 in Yokohama.

Hungary 10 El Salvador 1

Spain 1982 first round

The spirit of the Magical Magyars of the 50s reappeared in this match against El Salvador at the Nuevo Estadio, Elche.

Laszlo Kiss became the first substitute to score a World Cup hat-trick – within seven minutes. Star man, Tibor Nyilasi and Laszlo Fazekas got a brace. Gabor Poloskei, Jozsef Toth, and Lazar Szentes were also among the goal scorers.

World Cup fate of Hungary: They failed to escape their group after losing 4-1 to Argentina in their next game. A 1-1 draw with Belgium nailed their hope of qualifying for the second round.

West Germany 6 Mexico 0

Argentina 1978 first round

Goals from Dieter Mueller, Hansi Mueller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (2), Heinz Flohe (2) put Mexico to the sword at the Estadio Chateau Carreras, Cordoba.

West Germany were the defending champions and with this result, the signs of a back-to-back World Cup triumph was looking possible.

World Cup fate of West Germany: West Germany failed to qualify from their second round group, finishing third behind Italy and the Netherlands.

Yugoslavia 9 Zaire 0

West Germany 1974 first round

Debutants Zaire were the whipping boys of Group 2 as they emerged from a group with Yugoslavia, Brazil and Scotland with zero points, zero goals scored and 14 conceded.

Zaire were six goals down at half-time, conceding four goals in a 14-minute spell. Dusan Bajevic helped himself to a hat-trick in the game played in Gelsenkirchen.

World Cup fate of Yugoslavia: They lost all three of their matches in the second group phase to West Germany (2-0), Poland (2-1), and Sweden (2-1).

Hungary 9-0 South Korea

Switzerland 1954 first round

The Magical Magyars were in their imperious best in this annihilation of South Korea in Hardturm Stadium, Zurich.

Sandor Kocsis scored a hat-trick, Ferenc Puskas and Peter Palotas got braces. Zoltan Czibor and Mihaly Lantos also got on the score sheet.

Hungary 8-3 West Germany

Switzerland 1954 first round

The 56,000 fans at the Saint Jakob stadium, Basel witnessed an 11-goal thriller in this encounter. Sandor Kocsis scored four goals this time while Nandor Hidegkuti (2), Ferenc Puskas, and Joszef Toth weighed in their own share of the goals.

World Cup fate of Hungary: They were the favourites to claim the crown in Switzerland. The team got to the final but were surprisingly beaten by a West Germany side they had earlier beaten.

Sweden 8-0 Cuba

France 1938 quarter final

In Antibes, Cuba were slammed 8-0 by Sweden with Harry Andersson and Gustav Wetterstrom both helping themselves to hat-tricks. Tore Keller and Arne Nyberg scored a goal each.

World Cup fate of Sweden: They lost 5-1 to Hungary in the semifinal.

So if you have been tipping Germany to triumph on Sunday on account of their 7-1 annihilation of Brazil, well, you might want to have a rethink!