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Germany played Mexico in Group F's opening match. The World Cup 2014 champions were looking to fight for the title once again and hopefully retain the trophy. However, Joachim Low admitted that it would be difficult to do so. The German coach, who inspired his side to victory four years ago, had selected a talented side with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, and many more. One noticeable omission which got the fans puzzled is Leroy Sane. Hopefully, the Germans would not pay for not calling up the youngster.
Die Mannschaft overcame Saudi Arabia in a 2-1 victory. Prior to that win, the Germans had not won since the turn of the year. It was a crucial and vital victory which would boost the confidence of Low's boys. Meanwhile, for Mexico, they had won three of their last six games including a win against Iceland. Coach Osorio was confident that his side would be able to put up an eye-catching performance and stop the Germans effectively.
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Looking at the head to head records between the two sides, Germany had lost just one of their last 11 matches against the Central Americans. The odds were certainly in the favor of the Europeans. Fortunately for the Germans, Ozil regained full fitness and started for his side. With the stadium in Moscow packed with fans, it did not take long before the players wowed the crowds.
Javier Hernandez had one of the best chances in the opening 20 minutes of the match. However, the West Ham player hesitated for far too long and allowed the German defenders to get back into positions. Lozano aided his side to an advantage in the 35th minute as he opened the scoring. Finally, their counter-attack efforts paid off and caught the Germans off guard. The Germans were left frustrated by the end of the first half. Unfortunately for Low, he was unable to inspire his side to find the equalizer. The World Cup champions have started to suffer the same fate as Spain four years back. Here is how Twitter reacted as the World Cup title-holders lost their opening match.
