Germany vs. Gibraltar: Winners and Losers from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Germany got the win that everyone expected them to, but the world champions were left frustrated at the fact that they only scored four goals against minnows Gibraltar in their Euro 2016 qualifier in Nuremberg.
Having conceded seven each to Poland and the Republic of Ireland, many expected the Gibraltarians to be on the end of a double-figure scoreline in this Group D clash, but they defended well and only conceded to two Thomas Muller strikes, Mario Gotze's goal and a second-half own goal from Yogan Santos.
Here are some winners and losers from a strange Friday night.
Winners: Gibraltar
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It's a bizarre thing to say about a team that has just lost 4-0, but Gibraltar really will take a lot of heart from their display in Germany.
Before the match, many were scouring the record books and wondering if this was a game which could rival Australia's infamous 31-0 victory over American Samoa in 2001, but Gibraltar never allowed that to happen as they defended stoically.
The decision to base themselves in Germany for almost a whole week in the run-up to the game was certainly a sound one.
Loser: Toni Kroos
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Wayward shooting was the biggest letdown for Germany on the night, and the key culprit was Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.
Time and time again Kroos got himself into favourable shooting positions, but he barely tested Gibraltar goalkeeper Jamie Robba as he skewed his efforts wide of goal.
It was one of the most frustrating elements of Germany's night, and Kroos was the man most responsible.
Winner: Thomas Muller
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He'd have expected more than just two goals, obviously, but Muller used this evening to even further improve his fantastic international goalscoring record which now stands at 26 strikes from 61 appearances.
The fact that he is still just 25 years of age is staggering, and the world champion and World Cup legend just seems to keep on getting better.
His goals Friday night were simple, but they were a product of his fantastic movement in the box, which there are few better in the world at doing.
Loser: Lukas Podolski
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In and out of the reckoning both with club and country, Friday night was the perfect chance for Lukas Podolski to show that he can still be an asset to the latter, but he was poor.
Wayward shooting and passing categorised his display, and at a time when he'll be looking to impress both Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and potential suitors from elsewhere, this really was a chance missed.
Winner: Manuel Neuer
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He didn't have much to do, but when he was called upon to produce a save, Manuel Neuer once again showed just why he is one of the best goalkeeper's in the world.
Gibraltar's impressive Liam Walker almost achieved a moment he'd be telling his grandchildren about in the closing stages of the first half, but his excellent lobbed effort was brilliantly saved by the otherwise underworked Neuer.
Had it been the majority of other goalkeepers in world football in goal, then Walker would have had his special moment.
Loser: Joachim Low
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Germany coach Joachim Low would have wanted this game to present him with selection issues for matches against other, tougher opponents, but in the end he just got an evening of frustration.
He won't have learned anything new about the players he picked, as ultimately there wasn't much to glean from a game against limited albeit solid opponents.
This might seem a little harsh on the world champions given that they won the match 4-0, but there really are very few plus points to be taken from the evening. Low will just have to take the win and move on.
