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Spain national football team
International Friendlies
Nov 18, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Germany national football team

0-1

FT(HT: 0-0)
Kroos (89')

Player Ratings: Spain 0-1 Germany

Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed in Germany's 1-0 victory over Spain on Tuesday night.

The World Cup winners beat the European champions in Vigo as a late Toni Kroos strike handed Germany a 1-0 victory over Spain.

Both sides were missing key players for the meeting, and there was very little to choose between the teams before Kroos drilled in the winner from 25 yards in the 89th minute.

Below, Sports Mole rates the performance of every player at the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos.


SPAIN

Goal

Iker Casillas: Made one impressive save to keep out Mario Gotze in the first half, before being removed prior to the winner from Germany. (6/10)

Defence

Cesar Azpilicueta: The Chelsea defender was always willing to go forward, and never put a foot wrong at the back. Impressive display. (7/10)

Gerard Pique: Rarely tested in the first half as Spain enjoyed the better of the early exchanges. Removed at the break as Vicente del Bosque elected to take a closer look at his fringe players. (6/10)

Sergio Ramos: Typically combative as he broke up a number of promising German attacks with vital tackles. Joined Pique in taking a rest in the second half. (7/10)

Juan Bernat: Much like Azpilicueta, he proved to be a good option on the wing in the first half. However, his influence faded when Germany improved after the break. (6/10)

Midfield

Sergio Busquets: Locked in a battle with Sami Khedira throughout the first half, but he struggled to match his rival before being taken off at half time. (6/10)

Bruno: Lively in the middle of the park all evening. Given the task of keeping tabs on Toni Kroos, and did well before seeing his hard work ruined late on. (6/10)

Raul Garcia: Disappointing night for the Atletico Madrid midfielder. Struggled to contribute in the final third of the pitch as he missed the opportunity to impress on a rare start. (5/10)

Isco: Continued his impressive form by standing out for the hosts. Used the ball well and involved in almost all of Spain's attacks. (7/10)

Attack

Nolito: Brilliant debut for the Celta Vigo forward. Chased down lost causes, linked up with his midfielders well and one of the few players who looked threatening in attacking areas. (8/10)

Alvaro Morata: Drifted in and out of the game, but worked hard for the hosts after being given a rare chance to impress. (6/10)

Substitutes

Marc Bartra: Refused to give Kevin Volland an inch of space and always willing to come out of defence to put pressure on the roaming Gotze. (7/10)

Raul Albiol: Almost scored with a header early in the second half, and did very little wrong next to the impressive Bartra. (X/10)

Ignacio Camacho: Struggled to assert himself in midfield as Khedira and Kroos displayed their quality for long spells of the second half. (5/10)

Jose Callejon: Sent on for the final 20 minutes, and tested Germany with his pace and trickery. However, his decision making in the final third was poor. (6/10)

Kiko Casilla: Disappointing debut for the Espanyol shot-stopper. Replaced Casillas in the 77th minute, but will be disappointed that he couldn't keep out the winner from Kroos. (4/10)

Pedro: Offered very little in a brief cameo late on, but was kept out of the game well by a determined German defence. (4/10)


Germany's midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates with his teammates after scoring during a friendly football match Spain vs Germany at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on November 18, 2014© Getty Images

GERMANY

Goal

Ron-Robert Zieler: Made the most of a rare opportunity by making a number of brilliant saves to prevent the visitors from falling behind. (8/10)

Defence

Antonio Rudiger: Very impressive performance from the Stuttgart defender. Enhanced his reputation by making crucial interceptions and leading the defence in the absence of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels. (8/10)

Benedikt Howedes: Another player who is unlikely to be given many more starts in the future, but did his job well on a night when the hosts were forced to withstand pressure in the first half. (7/10)

Shkodran Mustafi: Frequently caught out of position by deliveries into the box, but spared embarrassment by his fellow defenders. (6/10)

Midfield

Toni Kroos: Perhaps slightly fortunate to see his effort sneak past Casilla, but deserved his luck after delivering a trademark display in midfield. Never wasted a pass as he led by example again for Germany. (8/10)

Sami Khedira: Slowly starting to get back to his best in recent weeks. Combined impressively with Kroos as he broke up Spain attacks while still showing a willingness to get forward. (7/10)

Sebastian Rudy: The Hoffenheim midfielder missed the chance to score his first international goal when he fired over from a great position in the first half. Neat and tidy in possession, but unlikely to jumped up the pecking order with this performance. (6/10)

Erik Durm: Despite spending much of the season in Borussia Dortmund's defence, Low trusted the 22-year-old to make an impact in midfield. Never stopped running on the wing, but lacked quality needed in attacking areas. (6/10)

Attack

Thomas Muller: The Bayern Munich forward added to Pep Guardiola's concerns by limping off in the 22nd minute after being injured in a collision with Sergio Ramos. (5/10)

Kevin Volland: Held up the ball well to bring his teammates into the game, but was forced to feed off scraps as the Spanish defence restricted the opportunities on offer to him. (5/10)

Mario Gotze: Unlucky not to score when his brilliant volley was kept out by Casillas. As always, he looked dangerous on the ball, but was quiet for long periods. (6/10)

Substitutes

Karim Bellarabi: Looked eager to impress after producing a disappointing performance against Gibraltar last Friday. Tested the hosts with his direct running, but the end product was poor on too many occasions. (6/10)

Max Kruse: Sent on in the 84th minute and made a crucial contribution by teeing up Kroos for the winning goal. (6/10)

Lars Bender: Replaced Khedira in stoppage time, but didn't get a chance to make a contribution for the visitors. (5/10)


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Germany's midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates with his teammates after scoring during a friendly football match Spain vs Germany at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on November 18, 2014
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