80 mins: Netherlands 5 Spain 1 - GOAL! Robben scores and toys with the keeper and defenders in equal measure. Shows his pace to reach the long ball and makes sure he gets it just right to smack it into the back of the net. Unbelievable scenes.

72 mins: Netherlands 4 Spain 1 - GOAL! RVP steals one as he dispossesses Casillas who is having the game from hell. Pokes it in from 15 yards out and the Dutch fans are delirious.

67 mins: Netherlands 3 Spain 1 - Great play from Spain as they hustle to get back into this game. David Silva pounces on the rebound after Pedro's header and puts the ball into the back of the net but he's offside.

64 mins: Netherlands 3 Spain 1 - GOAL! Casillas makes a meal of the inswinging freekick and de Vrij makes amends for his earlier penalty offence, clumsily putting the ball in at the far post. They all count and the Dutch on a roll. Van Persie gets a yellow for a challenge after the restart.

60 mins: Netherlands 2 Spain 1 - Van Persie hits the crossbar! Smashes the half volley which had Casillas well beaten after some nice lead up work. Hint of offside but not called. Spain have made two changes with Pedro and Torres coming on for Alonso and Costa respectively.

52 mins: Netherlands 2 Spain 1 -  GOAL! The over-the-top pass catches the Spanish out again. Dally Blind places it perfectly for Robben to control between two defenders at the 18 yard semi-circle, skafe across and puts it past the prone Casillas.

Second half is underway and we are greeted with a Amazonian rain shower.

Halftime: Netherlands 1 Spain 1 - More action in that half than the whole 120 minute of the 2010 final. Highlights aplenty but nothing beats that Van Persie header. Spain the better of the sides thus far.

44 mins: Netherlands 1 Spain 1 - GOAL! One of the better goals you'd ever hope to see. The ball is hooked in from the left where RVP meets it in Superman fashion 15 yards out, turning, diving and looping his header over the Casillas. Class, absolute class.

40 mins: Netherlands 0 Spain 1 - Two close calls on RVP and Arjen Robben but the offside trap has worked a treat. The Dutch are feeding off Spain's scraps here.

28 mins: Netherlands 0 Spain 1 - GOAL! Spain get the penalty. Costa cuts in and catches the trailing foot of the defender Stefan de Vrij. Xabi Alonso slots it low to the keeper's right. Hmm, questionable contact once again.

21 mins: Netherlands 0 Spain 0 - For all of the game tackling and pressing out there, some of these Spanish players go down like a house of cards at the slightest touch. They are making serious inroads though with Atletico's main man Diego Costa a touch away from some shots at goal.

8 mins: Netherlands 0 Spain 0 - End to end action immediately as the Dutch get the first real chance, Wesley Sneijder in his 100th cap breaking away only for Iker Casillas to get his frame in the way of the shot.

Kick off: Netherlands 0 Spain 0 - Spain have the honours and we're underway. Spain in their white kits and Netherlands in their blue strip.

6.55 - The national anthems have finished. We are close to a start now. You can add pictures to the words with our live stream of this game.

Pre Match

We didn't have to wait long for a World Cup blockbuster.

The vagaries of the World Cup draw pits the two finalists from 2010 against each other first up in group play.

That 1-0 win to Spain consigned the Dutch to their third runners up medal, never to have done better in the history of the Cup.

Remarkably, the core of both sides is almost untouched with the Spanish relying on some old heads and arguably old legs.

There will inenvitably be a healthy dose of revenge as motivation for the team in orange and if they can steal the early march in their group, the progress to the knockout phases should be a formality.

Spain on the other hand is vying to become the first team to win four straight major tournaments after defending its European Championship title in 2012, and the first repeat world champion since 1962.

Kick off is at 7am.

Team News:

Brazilian-born Diego Costa will lead World Cup holder Spain's attack Costa has recovered from a right thigh muscle injury to start in front of Spain's midfield trio of Xavi Hernandez, David Silva and Andres Iniesta.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is deploying Costa to change the complexion of Spain's possession-based system in response to the Netherlands' promise to use five defenders to counter its opponent's slick passing game.

Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben will lead the Netherlands' counter attack, where Dutch coach Louis van Gaal selected Canada-born Jonathan de Guzman as a midfield outlet alongside Wesley Sneijder.

Del Bosque has made few changes from that 2010 final apart from the attack, with captain Iker Casillas in goal for the 155th time behind Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, while Cesar Azpilicueta started at right back with Jordi Alba on the left.

Spain's defense, which is protected by midfielders Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso, conceded just two goals in South Africa.

For the Netherlands, right back Daryl Janmaat and left back Daley Blind will hope to surge forward in aid of the attack, while Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen starts behind defenders Bruno Martins Indi, Ron Vlaar, and Stefan de Vrij.

Spain:Iker Casillas, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Diego Costa.

Netherlands:Jasper Cillessen, Daryl Janmaat, Daley Blind, Bruno Martins Indi, Ron Vlaar, Stefan de Vrij, Nigel de Jong, Jonathan de Guzman, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie.