Mexico stunned defending World Champions Germany 1-0 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with the South Americans holding firm with a solid defensive second-half showing after Herving Lozano gave them the lead..
It was a lively start between the Group F heavyweights as Mexico showed from the outset that they were in no mood to sit back and soak up the German pressure.
Firstly, Lozano looked to be clear through in the area in the first minute, only to see the ball brilliantly blocked by Jerome Boateng.
That was followed up by a corner which caused a goalmouth panic before goalkeeper Manuel Neuer eventually smothered.
It was end-to-end stuff as Timo Werner shot just wide of Guillermo Ochoa’s goal and then Andres Guardado fired straight at Neuer from distance.
The teams seemed to catch their breath briefly, as we were only 10 minutes in and there had already been six attempts on goal.
But it wasn’t long before Mexico were on the attack again, a hopeful free-kick just evading the heads of three men in green.
Carlos Salcedo was relieved to see the ball go behind at the other end as it came off his boot at the back post from a dangerous cross.
The Mexicans in the crowd were certainly making the more noise as they sensed an upset of a sort could be on the cards.
Javier Hernandez should have done better in the 18th minute when he found space in the box, but he was eventually crowded out by three German defenders as he looked for support rather than try a shot on goal.
Werner and Toni Kroos both tried their luck at the other end, but Ochoa was right behind both efforts.
The action was relentless and the only thing we were missing was a goal as the match reached the half-hour mark but both Neuer - showing no ill effects from his lengthy time on the sidelines with a broken foot - and Ochoa were proving up to the task.
Stretched
The German defence was looking more and more stretched as they struggled with the Mexican pace. Miguel Layun was inches away from getting on the end of a chance on 35 minutes but it was not long before the Mexican fans were in raptures.
Hernandez made Mats Hummels look decidedly average, putting him on the turf before a pass found Lozano. He danced inside a lunging tackle and buried the ball past Neuer at the near post.
Kroos took the shot and Ochoa showed tremendous reflexes to tip it onto the bar.
It was almost two for Mexico just before the break as Carlos Vela saw an effort whistle wide as Neuer could only watch.
Germany were really lacking pace in midfield, bear in mind that Leroy Sane was deemed surplus to requirements when coach Joachim Loew selected his final squad of 24.
Germany looked to slow the pace down after the break and kill the Mexican enthusiasm, playing keep-ball and try to find the breakthrough with patient build-up.
For all their possession, Germany were almost caught out as Mexico pounced on the break after 55 minutes, but Hernandez’s pass to Vela went slightly behind his teammate and the chance was gone.
Shooting from distance
Mexico were succeeding in keeping their opponents to shooting from distance and an optimistic overhead Joshua Kimmich effort landed on the roof of the net before both Julan Draxler and Werner went close.
The Germans were dominating but Hernandez will have felt hard done by as he appeared to be manhandled by Hummels in the penalty area as Mexico broke upfield and beat the offside once again, but Iranian referee Alireza Faghani was not interested.
Kroos then found the side-netting as frustrations grew in the German ranks and another promising Mexican foray deserved a better finish from Layun.
Still Germany persevered, but the patience had gone as time crept inside the final 10 minutes, and an anonymous Thomas Mueller went into the book for a cynical pull-back in the middle of the field.
Loew took his last roll of the dice, bringing on Julian Brandt for Werner, and all of a sudden, there was a sense of panic in the Mexican defence, as Mario Gomez planted a header just wide before Brandt shaved the outside of the post.
But Mexico held on and Germany were consigned to defeat.
Germany now need to pick themselves up and Get the points on the board against South Korea and Sweden, while the Mexicans can enjoy their moment in the limelight.
