Low sure of World Cup next round after shock defeat from Mexico

Joachim Low did not try to mask his disappointment in the wake of Germany’s first defeat at the World Cup finals since they lost 1-0 to Spain in semi-finals in South Africa in 2010.

The World Cup-holders fell 1-0 in the Luzhniki Stadium in their Group F tie to Mexico whom they had defeated 4-1 in Russia a year ago on their way to winning the Confederations Cup.

This time Hirving Lozano, who played in that semi-final, struck the first-half winner.

Low said: “It was disappointing to lose the first match. That is a situation to which we are not used but we have to accept it. In the next match we must be much better.

“In the first half we played very badly, we were not able to impose our usual way of playing. In the second half we were able to press more but Mexico fell back and fast on the break.

We had a couple of shots but the ball seemed jinxed and would not go into the goal.”

Low added: “Everybody is really unhappy but we have to put this behind us. We will not change our match plan.

We knew we had to be solid in these first matches but very often we looked nervous and we will have to try to work out why. There is no reason to break out in panic.

“We will make it to the next round.”

Goalscorer Lozano hailed the “best goal I’ve scored in my entire life” and described the victory as “one of the biggest in our history.”

Mexico’s Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio said he and his staff had plannd their strategy of hit and hold ever since the World up draw back in December.