WORLD CUP 2018: Three talking points from Germany's defeat to Mexico

Heading into the World Cup 2018, Germany were one of the favorites. They were the defending champions, had a great bunch of players, and were coming on the back of positive results in the warm up matches.

Yet, when it came to the big match, they were given a harsh reality check. The 2014 winners were outplayed and outperformed by Mexico, as they stunningly beat them 1-0 on Sunday. 

The defeat may be disappointing, but the manner of the loss was even worse. None of the Germany players showed heart, and it seemed they weren't up for the occasion. Be it Ozil, or Muller, or Khedira, all of them struggled to make their mark.

There were many takeaways from this fixture for both the sides. We take a look at three of them.

1. Shocking performance by Ozil: On his day, Mesut Ozil can rip apart the best of the teams with his passing, movement and link up play. But he is prone to going anonymous during games as well. And it was something of that sorts against Mexico. 

It seemed Ozil never showed up for the match. Despite being physically present on the field, his mind was probably wandering somewhere else. Maybe the ongoing saga of his nations' fans booing him before the tournament was in his mind. Yet, nothing can justify his shocking display on the field. 

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2. Mexico wingers shine: Mexico were the underdogs heading into the game, and even they know it. They had the likes of Hernandez, Vela and Guardado in their ranks, so they weren't any pushovers. But the win would certainly have surprised the Mexican team themselves. And whatever they accomplished on the field, much of it was down to their two wingers.

On the left side, 22-year-old Lozano wrecked havoc, and tortured Germany full back Kimmich. His pace and quick feet was too much for the German defense to handle. He scored the winner, and was a constant threat down the wing.

On his opposite side played the No.7 Layun. He justified his number on the jersey by tormenting the opposition. Just like Lozano, Layun was fast, energetic and on the faces of the German defense. While he did fail to convert many opportunities, it cannot overshadow the scintillating display he put on the field.\

3. Joachim Low gets it all wrong: The pre-World Cup talk about Germany squad selection was all about the exclusion of winger Leroy Sane. And against Mexico, his absence was clearly felt by the Germans.

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They had four attacking players on the pitch, but none of them were pacey, or capable of taking on the full back. Sane, as the Premier League has witnessed, relishes going one on one against the defenders.

Further, Low's decision to start with Werner on right, and put Ozil and Muller as false No. 9 backfired big time. Both of them struggled to make a mark against the physical centre backs of Mexico.