It was a day to forget for defending champions Germany as they were unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup after their defeat to South Korea.
READ: Defending champions Germany crash out of World Cup
Joachim Low’s side were beaten 2-0 in Kazan on Wednesday, leaving them bottom of Group F with three points from their three matches.
While Sweden and Mexico celebrated progression to the knockout stages, and Korea revelled in a memorable victory, Germany were left downbeat.
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The post-match data made for miserable reading for fans of Die Mannschaft. Here we take a look at the Opta facts that Low will be keen to avoid:
– Germany are the fourth defending champions to be eliminated from the group stage at the World Cup in the last five tournaments (also France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014).
– This is only the second time that Germany have been eliminated from the first round at the World Cup, having last done so in 1938. However, this is the first time it has happened when the first round has been in a group-stage format.
– Die Mannschaft’s tally of two goals scored at this World Cup is the second fewest managed by a defending champion in the competition, only ahead of France’s zero in 2002.
– This was Germany’s first defeat against an Asian nation in a World Cup match in what was their sixth such match.
– The defending champions failed to score in two of their three World Cup games in 2018, as many as their previous 15 World Cup matches combined.
– This was South Korea’s first clean sheet at the World Cup since a 2-0 win over Greece in 2010; they had gone eight without a shutout before this match.
– South Korea beat Germany in a World Cup match for the first time, having lost each of the previous two meetings in the competition.
– Son Heung-min’s goal for South Korea (95:52) was the latest goal Germany have ever conceded in a World Cup match (excluding extra-time).
– Since the 2010 edition, Germany have lost both of their World Cup matches in which Thomas Muller has not started (also lost 0-1 to Spain in the 2010 semi-final), compared to 80% when he has started (12 wins in 15 games).
