Analysis of the first round of fixtures of the World Cup contenders

Germany - Group F

Die Mannschaft starting 11 vs Mexico.

The defending World Champions 1-0 defeat against Mexico was the biggest surprise so far. Full credit to Mexico for attacking relentlessly during the first half and standing firm when Germany threw everything they had against them at the end but very few would have expected the Germans to struggle albeit not score in their opening game. Certainly, a cause to worry about for Joachin Loew.

3 of the last 4 defending champions namely France in 2002, Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014 failed to make it to the round of 16. Bad omen for Germany but expect the 4-time champions to come back strongly in their next game against Sweden. The likes of Muller, Kroos, and Ozil will step up and lead the team to a much-needed win.

Performance Rating - 3/10