Football: Shell-shocked Loew unable to explain historic Germany defeat to Spain

Spain's players celebrate their fourth goal against Germany. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

SEVILLE (REUTERS) - Germany coach Joachim Loew was at a loss to explain his side's humiliating 6-0 loss to Spain in the Uefa Nations League on Tuesday (Nov 17) which caused them to miss out on a place in the competition's final four.

"I really don't know what happened to the team," Loew told reporters after Germany's heaviest defeat in 89 years and their worst in competitive football.

"We had hardly any chances and we didn't win a single individual battle out on the pitch."

Germany have been on a downward path since crashing out in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup and have won only three of their last eight internationals.

They went into Tuesday's decisive game top of League A4 after beating Ukraine 3-1 and a draw would have booked their place in the final four, but they fell three goals down by halftime and performed even worse in the second half.

"In the second half we tried to press them high up the pitch to score and get back into the game but Spain played far better than us, they were much faster and played with more precision," Loew added.

"We said before the game that we trusted in the players in our squad and that we were on the right track, but today we saw that we are not progressing as well as we had thought after our last few games."

Midfielder Serge Gnabry added: "Nothing worked for us tonight. We couldn't control them, they deserved to beat us as they did.

"Spain did everything well and we did nothing right. We don't know what level we're at right now. It's not normal to lose a match by so many goals."

Goals from Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres and Rodri gave Luis Enrique's side a convincing 3-0 lead at halftime, while Ferran struck again early in the second half and completed his treble with a classy finish.

Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal tapped in the sixth goal in the 89th minute to adorn an incredible Spain display and deepen four-times world champions Germany's misery.

Spain suffered an early injury setback when Sergio Canales was taken off but his replacement Fabian Ruiz had an immediate impact, sending in a superb delivery from a corner and Morata rose unmarked at the far post to head home in the 17th minute.

Morata netted again soon after by connecting with a cross from Ferran but his strike was incorrectly ruled offside, with no VAR in operation in the Nations League.

However, Spain quickly shrugged off their sense of injustice as Ferran smashed in their second goal on the rebound in the 33rd after Dani Olmo had glanced against the post, while Rodri headed home a corner from Koke five minutes later.

Spain lost captain Sergio Ramos to a suspected muscle injury towards the end of the first half but they grew ever more confident after the break as Germany continued to wilt.

Dani Olmo spurned a simple chance to add to Spain's lead, allowing Germany's Manuel Neuer to make a rare save in a match in which his principal task was picking the ball out of the net.

But Ferran showed no mercy, making the most of a generous pass from ex-Valencia team mate Jose Gaya to score his second, then showing his confidence by receiving a pass from Fabian and beating Neuer with a first-time finish from outside the box.

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