– Spain vs Germany ended in a surprising 6-0 win for the host
– Germany suffered their worst defeat in a competitive match
– The defeat put to perspective a number of fundamental problems facing the German side
– Joachim Low’s men did not have a single shot on target that evening
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Spain completely obliterated Germany in the Nations League as Manchester City star Ferran Torres bagged a hat trick as his side cruised to a comfortable 6-0 win over the 2014 World Champions.
Spain humiliated Germany 6-0 in a Nations League game on Tuesday, November 17. Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu
Source: UGC
The win puts Spain in the final four of the Nations League while for Germany, they will have to go and re-assess their football as the defeat left a painful reality check.
It was their worst defeat in a competitive match as their only five-goal loss in a competitive game had been West Germany’s 8-3 defeat to Hungary at the 1954 World Cup group stage. West Germany went on to beat Hungary in the final. In non-competitive matches, Germany had also lost 6-0 to Austria in a friendly in 1931.
There were several talking points and broken stats in the game, including the fact that this was the first time German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has ever shipped in six goals in a match for both club and country.
While it is impossible to pin point exactly what went wrong with the German machine, there were several take-homes from the game and Legit.ng looks at them in more depth.
1. Modern football catching up with Germany
There is no doubt that Germany is still the world’s most feared team, but the manner in which they were blown away by Spain might be an indication that perhaps it might be time for a massive overhaul in the team.
Midfielder Toni Kroos was the first to admit his national side was taught a lesson as he said after the game:
“Spain taught us a football lesson today. How to play with the ball and without the ball. It was a lesson I will never forget.”
2. Joachim Low slowly losing his dressing room
Coach Joachim Low is not one to openly express himself on the touchline but his body language on the night left many believing that after much success and 14 years at the helm, it might finally be time to move on.
3. Spain slowly finding their spark again
The Spanish national team might be a shadow of the side which won the World Cup and European Championship in 2010 and 2012, but manager Luis Enrique is slowly rebuilding the team both with his squad and the tactics and the Spaniards would be justified to feeling optimistic for success in the near future.
4. Manchester City made a superb purchase in Ferran Torres
The Manchester City forward was the star on the day as he bagged a hat trick en route to the Germany humiliation.
He played off Alvaro Morata for most of the game on Tuesday but still showed he had the cutting edge of a lethal striker.
It is no wonder that Guardiola kept him as a false nine while he had the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero injured.
5. Football is more than big names in the squad
Germany, despite having world class names on their team sheet, failed to register a single shot on target.
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Chelsea star Timo Werner was played on the left side while Bayern star Serge Gnabry had his side’s closest opportunity when he hit the post in the dying moments of the game.
In many ways, Germany had the better squad on the day as far as individual quality is concerned but as football would have it, that is not necessarily enough.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil aimed a jibe at Germany boss Joachim Low after suffering a 6-0 defeat to Spain in their UEFA Nations League encounter.
Three goals from Ferran Torres and one each from Rodri, Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal handed the 2014 World champion their heaviest humiliation since 1931.
And this means that the Spanish national team has progressed to the Nations League finals next year at the expense of their German counterparts.
The Gunners attacker announced his retirement after feeling he was made a scapegoat for their underperformance in Russia.
Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller were also frozen out of the team by Joachim Low as he hopes to rebuild a new team in his 14th year in charge.
Ozil, however, suggested that the 60-year-old should consider recalling one of his former team-mates to help patch up a leaky defence as their humiliation to Spain.
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