Germany vs Mexico: Five things we learned from intriguing clash

Germany’s opening game was eagerly anticipated by fans and neutrals alike, as die Mannschaft aim to become the first since Brazil to win back-to-back titles. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Joachim Low’s side, who took on Mexico. El Tri, who have lost their last three meetings with the four-time World Cup winners were certainly pumped up for the game and were eager to end their decades-long hoodoo against Germany as they aim to book their spot in the round of 16.

Here’s what we learned from the world champions’ group stage opener.

1. Germany’s wobbly rearguard is a major source of concern

Germany looked far from impressive in their recent friendlies. They lost to Austria, and although they managed to beat Saudi Arabia, it was far from convincing as they earned a narrow 2-1 result. Against Mexico, their defense looked wobbly, to say the least, and if El Tri had been a bit more clinical with their chances, the reigning champions could have been for a much more shocking defeat.

Low will have to get thing sorted out – and quickly. Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger was left on the bench, so perhaps he may get a run-out against Sweden and South Korea. Meanwhile, Sami Khedira, who was tasked with protecting the defense, was mostly a passenger as Mexico poured numbers forward and was correctly subbed out, but overall, the back-line appeared far from certain and if they don’t address this, they could be in for a rough ride once the round of 16 kicks off.

2. The “champions curse” starting to rear its ugly head?

Although it’s early, one can’t help but start to ponder about some interesting statistics. And here’s one to mull over: the last two World Cup champions have crashed out at the group stages. That’s right – both Italy and Spain not only were unable to defend their titles in 2010 and 2014 but were humiliated as they made a swift exit four years after lifting the coveted trophy.

Now, that’s not to say that the “curse” will strike for a third straight time, but it will be still a major concern for Germany, as they will need to ensure they can pick up maximum points against Sweden and South Korea – and hope that Mexico slip up – in order to avoid a dreaded round of 16 tie against likely opponents Brazil in the next round.

3. However, losing the first game doesn’t mean its game over…but it’s an uphill battle

As Germany look to regroup after their shock loss, they’ll obviously be asking quite a bit of questions. That being said, they could look to Spain for inspiration as La Furia Roja did lose their opener and managed to win it all in 2010.

That being said, both Spain and Italy failed to win their openers in the tournament following their wins in 2010 and 2006 and were sent packing.

Still, South Korea and Sweden will be fancying their chances at inflicting further damage, and Germany will obviously need to crank it up a couple of notches to avoid any slip-ups in their next 180 minutes of game time. Otherwise, it could be a swift return back to Berlin for one of the top sides in world football.

4. Will the decision to omit Leroy Sane come back to haunt them?

Sane’s exclusion was quite controversial, especially as the Manchester City star impressed fans and critics alike due to his excellent showings for Pep Guardiola’s side this season. However, Low argued that Sane didn’t fit into his line-up and opted to call up Julian Brandt, leading many to wonder if the World Cup winner had made the right decision.

This game in particular really would have benefited from someone like Sane, with his pace, trickery, and more notable, his skilled left foot. Unfortunately, we can all wonder what could have been.

5. Low makes a rare tactical error

Timo Werner is certainly a good striker, but the RB Leipzig man wasn’t clearly the right option for this match. He proved to be quite ineffective despite the best efforts of Julian Draxler and Thomas Muller, who time and time again pulled Mexico’s defenders out and fired balls into the box to no avail.

The better option? Mario Gomez, who posed a much greater threat in his cameo appearance than Werner did in over an hour on the pitch. Will the experienced veteran be given a start in lieu of the debutant? Time will tell.