Los 40 USA
NewslettersSign in to commentAPP
spainSPAINchileCHILEcolombiaCOLOMBIAusaUSAmexicoMEXICOlatin usaLATIN USAamericaAMERICA

WORLD CUP 2018

Kimmich questions Germany mentality after Mexico defeat

Joshua Kimmich believes a lack of competitive match sharpness was to blame for Germany's World Cup opener defeat to Mexico.

Update:
Kimmich questions Germany mentality after Mexico defeat
Getty Images

Joshua Kimmich has questioned Germany's mentality after their shock 1-0 defeat to Mexico at the World Cup on Sunday.

The reigning champions were second best to El Tri throughout and were duly punished by Hirving Lozano's superb goal midway through the first half.

"Quality is not enough" in matches like Sunday's, says Kimmich

Germany had won just one of their six pre-World Cup friendlies after qualifying with a 100 per cent record and Kimmich believes a lack of intensity in those games contributed to their lacklustre performance against the Central Americans.

He said: "The mentality when facing a match of this level also counts, quality is not enough. We lacked that too, so many mistakes were made.

"Removing Saudi Arabia we have not won the last six games. You cannot compare the friendlies, in which the opponent does not press you as much as a qualifying round or a World Cup.

"The coach [Joachim Löw] is right when he said that we lost a lot of balls. Mexico did well on the counter-attack, especially - they caught us several times."

Germany out to bounce back against Sweden on Saturday

Germany will be hoping to get their campaign back on track when they face Sweden at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Saturday.