Lionel Messi made amends for a missed penalty with a second-half strike after a Sami Khedira own goal as Argentina cruised to a 3-1 victory against 10-man Germany.
Angel Di Maria struck a third and Messi came close again with a shot against the post to earn Argentina a modicum of revenge for their 4-0 defeat to Germany at their last meeting in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Germany's hopes of a victory to put the memory of their Euro 2012 exit to Italy behind them were all but dashed when Hanover keeper Ron-Robert Zieler brought down Jose Ernesto Sosa in the area in the 29th minute, earning a red card in only his second game for Germany.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen came off the bench, and with his first touch, dived to his left to save Messi's poorly placed penalty.
Thomas Mueller had to make way for the 20-year-old Borussia Moenchengladbach keeper, also earning his second cap, as Germany faced the prospect of an hour with 10 men against an Argentina side already beginning to get on top of the game.
Germany team coach Joachim Loew said: "We started well for the first 20 to 25 minutes, then came the red card and the own goal.