2. Özil-Hole in the midfield: No defensive midfielder to cover the backline
The main danger from the Gelsenkirchen-born maestro’s point of view is that Marco Reus, the player set to benefit from Ozil’s possible omission might take his chance to make himself indispensable. Either way, Ozil’s place in the first XI is more precarious than it’s ever been after losing to Mexico. With the likes of Ikay Gundogan waiting and Özil’s place is under threat given his shambolic defensive skills.
Özil is a virtuoso playmaker who flits, chips, touches and skips around the park. When he sprinted back to attempt to stop Lozano’s goal, videos flooded Twitter mocking his amusing attempt to tackle the agile Mexican. But it’s not his job.Özil had done not just nothing in the first half, but less than nothing, offering simply an absence, a Mesut-shaped hole. For a while he dropped deeper with more success, driving forward like a featherweight Roy Keane.
Hirving Lozano scored an outstanding goal against the holders in the 35th minute and Mexico were able to hold on for a famous victory. While Ozil is not known for his defending, he undoubtedly could have done better in the lead-up to Lozano’s effort.