Take Five: The best opening matches of the World Cup Finals

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The 2014 World Cup is set to get under way, with the hosts Brazil playing Croatia in Group A.

Opening matches are generally perceived to be stodgy, nervy affairs, as a combination of pressure and expectation weigh heavy on the competitors.

Germany's opener in the 1994 World Cup against Bolivia immediately springs to mind, and it must go down as one of the worst matches in the history of the tournament.

Openers traditionally involved the winner of the previous tournament, until 2006, where it was decided that the hosts should raise the curtain on the tournament.

There are, however, a few notable exceptions, where tournaments have opened with a flourish, and produced either a memorable result, or a particularly memorable match.

We take a look back at the greatest opening matches in World Cup history. In cases where there was no "official" opening match, we've gone for the reigning champions first match.

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica, 2006, Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

The highest-scoring opening match in the history of the tournament was between a exhilarating German side, and an under-rated, undeterred Costa Rica. Germany had gone back to the drawing board at the turn of the century, and were beginning to see the fruits of their labour. Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Podolski and Mertesacker were introduced to the wider football world by Jurgen Klinsmann, and given licence to pour forward.

The Germans were huge favourites, but Costa Rica had topped the CONCACAF qualifiers ahead of both Mexico and the USA. They had the best attack and defence in the qualification campaign, and were much more than the sum of their parts.

Germany scored early on through Philipp Lahm, and looked like they could hit double figures. The deluge lasted six minutes, but Paulo Wanchope equalised in the 12th minute. Germany resumed their offensive, and restored their lead after 17 minutes. While Klinsmann's side kept up that pressure, Costa Rica looked dangerous on the counter. Miroslav Klose got his second of the game after half-time, but again Wanchope kept the Costa Ricans within touching distance. It took one of the great German World Cup goals from Torsten Frings to finally settle the match.

Brazil 2-1 Scotland, 1998, Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France

Call it blind patriotism, but this had to be included. Craig Brown's Scotland side were paired with the reigning World Cup champions, and would open the tournament in France. The Brazil side - Ronaldo, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Dunga, Giovanni, Cafu - were huge favourites.

It didn't start well. Cesar Sampaio met Rivaldo's corner and scored a decidedly un-Brazilian goal in the fourth minute, but Scotland didn't panic. The pressure remained, but there were sporadic raids into the Brazilian half from Kevin Gallacher and Darren Jackson, whose pace was causing problems against an aging Brazilian defence. Cesar Sampaio's clumsy challenge on Gallacher gave Scotland a penalty, and John Collins - having arguably his best game in a Scotland shirt - beat Taffarel from the spot, seven minutes before half-time.

For the following 35 minutes Scotland kept Brazil at arms length. Colin Hendry was imperious in defence, and Jim Leighton made two superb saves from Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. The turning point came on 73 minutes, when Cafu's shot was stopped by Leighton, but bounced off the turf into the on-rushing Tom Boyd. Boyd was instinctively following up the shot, and in most situations would have comfortably cleared for a corner. On this occasion the ball struck him on the chest and fell agonisingly into the Scottish goal.

Argentina 0-1 Cameroon, 1990, San Siro, Milan, Italy

Whenever there are stories written of a glorious underdog, they tend to exaggerate the odds with which they have to overcome. Cameroon's victory over Argentina could barely have been scripted without a cautious editor, grounded in realism, suggesting it was all a little too far-fetched.

Few gave Cameroon a chance when they faced holders Argentina at Italia '90. The Cameroon camp had been somewhat divided by dressing room unrest, squad arguments and a dispute over who should play in goals. They had qualified by beating Tunisia in a playoff, but were drawn against the reigning holders in Argentina, the European Championship runners-up in the USSR and a highly impressive Romania side.

Cameroon had called up a retired 38-year-old forward who had won his first cap in 1973. 11 of Cameroon's 22 came from their home nation, with six playing in the lower leagues in France. Argentina had Maradona.

The champions dominated, although perhaps not with the defensive conviction of favourites, and Maradona looked every bit the player who had led Napoli to the Serie A title. The pivotal point came with a red card to Andre Kana-Biyik, which was somewhat harsh given the resulting infractions; one Argentine player is alleged to have complained of stud marks in his chest. Rather than seize the initiative, Argentina almost immediately surrendered it, Francois Omam-Biyik's header finding a way into the net. Rather than firing the champions into life, they seemed stunned. There was to be no equaliser, although Benjamin Massing's red card for a foul on Claudio Caniggia is arguably the most spectacular the tournament has ever seen.

Argentina 0-1 Belgium, 1982, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

Argentina do not enjoy opening World Cup tournaments. The side of 1978 had defeated the great Dutch side, and were among the favourites for the Spanish tournament. Their opening match came against a Belgian team that hadn't been at the tournament for 12 years.

However, this was a much improved Belgium, who had qualified ahead of France and ended the Netherlands' hopes of making it third time lucky by beating them into fourth place. Argentina were the next victims, with Anderlecht's prolific Erwin Vandenbergh getting the only goal of a game that is remembered most vividly for some of the most savage tackling seen in a World Cup match in the last 40 years.

West Germany 3-1 Argentina, 1958, Malmo Stadium, Malmo, Sweden

West Germany had been surprise champions against Hungary four years previously, and were expected to find things tough against an impressive Argentina.

The Argentines, wearing Malmo's shirts so as not to clash with West Germany's white tops, seemed to justify their fearsome status. Racing's Omar Corbatta raced clear in the third minute, thrashing a shot past Friedrich Herkenrath at his near post. Only some last-ditch defending denied the Argentines extending that lead.

Helmut Rahn's fabulous left-foot strike from the edge of the box equalised for West Germany, and the legendary Uwe Seeler put them ahead just before half-time with a poacher's finish. Argentina had further chances, but Rahn somehow added a third, following a poor piece of goalkeeping from Amadeo Carrizo.

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