Germany 0-1 Mexico
You don’t have to worry if you’re still surprised with the way the World Cup 2018 has been shaping up for the past couple of games. The past couple World Cup results have brought nothing but widened eyes, raised brows and rattled fan bases.
There have been upsets, shock draws and dominant performances that could have left many a fan satisfied for days. However, the Mexico-Germany brought more exciting storylines for the World Cup fan.
The defending World Cup winners came into this game as heavy favourites to retain the title and cruise through their Mexican competition. They are a methodical team with terrific players, and it seemed like El Tri were going to punch way above their weight when they meet at the Stadion Luzhniki.
However, it seemed like Juan Osorio’s men had different plans for the contest. They battled for every possession and managed to sneak in a brilliant goal on the counterattack in order to complete the most improbable of comebacks.
The Germans were rattled in Moscow. Can they still top their group after this sudden bump knocked them off-course?
Highlights of the game
Mexico made Die Mannschaft know of their intentions during the first minute of action in Moscow. Hirving Lozano received a beautiful pass inside the box, tempted his mark to slide before moving aside for a shot up front. Fortunately for the Germans, there was a German shirt that was able to block the shot.
Of course, Germany’s calculated football eventually got hold of the ball and began their systematic attack on the ball. Timo Werner, Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos and the rest of the Germany squad slowly but surely worked their way to the goal. However, persistent defending from the Mexican defending and a bit of luck always ensured that the ball would always end up on Guillermo Ochoa’s gloves.
Mexico had their shots early in the game as Miguel Layun had a couple of set pieces to take, but nothing resulted out of those attempts. They had to focus on stopping the ever-potent German sieges as they tried to find an advantage in the game.
The Mexicans soon found chance after chance as the game carries on. Lozano was effective up the left flank as the German defence left him plenty of room to operate. Miguel Layun, Javier Hernandez and Carlos Vela also challenged Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng down the middle.
The game-winning goals would soon present itself in the 35th minute. Chicharito made a beautiful through pass on the left. Lozano picked up the ball and lost his marker. He then made a near-post effort that easily beat the Bayern Munich guardian. The 78,011-strong crowd at Stadion Luzhniki shook the ground with their reaction.
Joachim Low understandably egged his men to equalise and put the game back on level terms in the remainder of the first half. Kroos almost equalised with a fiery mid-range free kick just three minutes later. The only thing that saved Ochoa and the Mexican defence from conceding was the crossbar.
The second half saw Germany putting on more attacking pressure on the Mexicans with Marco Reus, Julian Brandt and Mario Gomez joining the fray. El Tri were barely holding it together against the Germans as they also looked to attack to secure the three points.
Poor shooting and the crossbar helped Ochoa plenty of times in the second half. Their biggest chance at an equaliser came in late: Brandt fired a rebound on the 90th minute from just outside the box. However, the ball just drifted a bit too wide of the left post.
Brandt probably rued missing his chance as the Mexicans hunkered down in the remaining three minutes of added time. Alireza Faghani eventually blew the final whistle, stunning the huge German contingent that was present in the stadium. Meanwhile, Chicharito and the rest of the Mexican national football team cried tears of joy as they surmounted tough World Cup 2018 odds to beat Germany and stand atop Group F.
Key statistics
The defence has been the key trend through the early days of this World Cup, and this game did not buckle the trend when it came to the statistics. Germany had 59% of the time with the ball and made 25 goal attempts, with nine of them going on goal. They also had a lot more corner attempts compared to their opponents.
However, it still cannot be denied that they did not finish the job when it mattered the most. This is Die Mannschaft‘s first defeat in a World Cup opener since 1982. This loss also means that Germany have lost three of their last four games. This only confirms the fears of many that they are not as strong as they used to be.
What’s next?
Mexico will be on a high by the time they face Korea Republic at Rostov Arena. The team knows that a victory here will secure their ticket to the knockout stages, so Chicharito and company must zero in and get the all-important win.
Meanwhile, Germany have a tough test against Emil Forsberg and Sweden. Low must sort out the shambolic attacking display they presented and get his players back on the right track. The last thing the defending champions want to do is burn out and exit the World Cup at the group stages.
You can be sure that the football experts at SBOBET will keep a close eye on the progress of these games and see if we ended up seeing the greatest upset in the entire tournament.
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