We have a final this World Cup deserves. Spain have been the tournament’s standout side, while Argentina have built another run on resilience, experience and the enduring brilliance of Lionel Messi.Spain are deserved favourites, but if Argentina are to retain their crown, they must do what France could not: compete with Spain’s midfield and disrupt the control that has underpinned their run to the final.Their semi-final performances could hardly have been more different, but together they offered an intriguing glimpse of the tactical battle that awaits in New Jersey.In Texas, Spain bewildered France, neutralising what has looked like the most formidable attack in the tournament. France failed to register a shot on target until the 81st minute and generated just 0.3 expected goals — the lowest by any team in a World Cup semi-final since 1994. Spain were better tactically and technically.In Atlanta, England took the lead in the 55th minute of a tight, cautious contest, then succumbed to the occasion and ceded control to Argentina. The two teams combined for only 0.08 xG in the first half, the lowest ever recorded in a World Cup knockout match. After Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, England held just 12 per cent of possession, the lowest on record for a side in front at a World Cup. Messi, inevitably, provided the assists for both goals that turned it around.The two games bore no resemblance to one another, yet together they tell us exactly who the finalists are — and what Sunday could look like.