World Cup 2018: 4 reasons why Germany is struggling in Russia

#4 Midfield and defensive woes

The Germans are struggling in midfield as well as in defense

"Defense wins you titles offense wins you games" - that is a common saying in football, and to a very large extent it is true. But teams who win titles are not only good defensively, but they are good in midfield as well.

For any team to win trophies there needs to be stable in midfield, something which Germany clearly misses. Joachim Low is having a hard time finding someone who can be a good partner for Toni Kross.

Khedira hasn't performed up to the mark while the pairing of Gundagan and Kross does not appear to be very effective. While Goretzka is still untested, it seems unlikely that could work. Rudy and Kross looked good in midfield, but there are still doubts whether the Bayern Munich midfielder will be able to perform consistently in the World Cup.

Their defense has proven to be of little help as well. Mats Hummels has struggled badly while his replacement Rudiger did not impress much when given his chance against Sweden. The only other options are Ginter and Sule who are the last resort for the Die Mannschaft.

It is clear that they have to find their rhythm in the midfield and bring stability at the back without compromising on the result.