Head-to-Head
• Germany and Russia have played each other five times. Germany won once, Russia four times.
• All of Germany's losses against Russia were straight set defeats.
• It is only the second time these teams meet after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, after a 3-0 win for Russia in 1994. In 1966, 1970, 1974 and 1978 they faced each other as German Democratic Republic and Soviet Union.
Germany• Germany are on a six-match winning streak, their longest at the World Championship since competing as Germany (since 1994) and their longest since GDR won nine in a row in 1970.
• Only one of their last four losses was against a European team, 3-0 against Bulgaria in 2010.
• Germany have played all of their seven matches so far in Katowice and will play there again versus Russia. The only other team still in the tournament to have played all its matches in the same city is Brazil, also in Katowice. For opponents Russia, Katowice will be their third city after Gdansk and Wroclaw.
Russia• Russia have won their last 10 matches, their best ever winning streak since competing as Russia (1994). Their previous best was six wins in a row in 2002 and 2006.
• Their last loss came on 5 October 2010, a 3-1 defeat against Serbia.
• Russia's last five defeats at the World Championship (since 2006) have all come against European teams: Serbia (as SCG), Poland, Italy, Spain and Serbia.