Germany victorious in Spain thanks to Toni Kroos’s 89th-minute winner

Spain and Germany between them have won international football’s last four major tournaments but for 89 minutes they could not manage a goal. Then Toni Kroos struck a superb winner from 25 yards that skidded low and flew into the bottom corner beyond Casilla. That is Casilla, not Casillas: it was Kiko, not Iker, that Kroos had beaten. On as a substitute, he was 15 minutes into his debut.

For Spain this was another defeat, their fifth in 12 games in 2014, making it their worst year since 1991. It was also their first home defeat since 2006. For Germany, 2014 will always be historic but since the World Cup, results have been poor: Argentina beat them in a friendly, they drew with Republic of Ireland and were defeated by Poland. This win arrests the slide even if the result mattered little and there were moments that pleased both managers. Not least the lack of injuries.

This was a match that reinforced the feeling Isco may be the man to lead Spain’s new generation but one that never truly escaped its status as a friendly. The world champions met the former world champions, yet there was something missing here. Of Germany’s starting XI against Argentina in Rio, only three began here: Benedikt Höwedes, Kroos and Thomas Müller, who was withdrawn after 23 minutes.

The man whose goal won them the World Cup, Mario Götze, was included but others have departed. Philip Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker retired from international football and Mesut Özil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marco Reus, Julian Draxler, Mats Hummels, Kevin Grosskreutz, André Schürrle, Manuel Neuer, Christoph Kramer and Jérôme Boateng were also absent. In goal was Ron-Robert Zieler, once of Northampton Town. His was the first save, pushing away Nolito’s shot. Joachim Löw’s 19-man squad came from 14 different clubs. Spain too are changed.

Nolito made his debut at his club ground while alongside him Álvaro Morata started for the first time, becoming the 16th striker to play in the Vicente del Bosque era. José María Callejón then came on for a debut in the second half. Of Del Bosque’s starting XI, only six were in Brazil. In part that was a product of this being a friendly but Xavi Hernández and Xabi Alonso have retired, David Villa had gone and Fernando Torres is no longer included. Andrés Iniesta, David Silva, Cesc Fàbregas and Diego Costa were injured.

Those injuries provoked a debate about players’ commitment to the national team, led by Sergio Ramos who stopped short of saying that he did not believe them – but only just. At half-time, Raul Albiol, Marc Bartra and the debutant Ignacio Camacho came on. Camacho was making his debut. Del Bosque has talked about a “soft transition” and Spain remain well-placed to qualify for Euro 2016 despite losing to Slovakia, but there is a search for identity. “We can’t pretend 2014 was a good year,” the manager admitted. “We want to look forward with optimism.”

One reason to be cheerful is the form of Isco, superb on Saturday against Belarus and active again here, keen to drop and become involved, carrying the game. Del Bosque had warned against him trying to win games alone but the excitement is understandable. When he curled a shot goalwards in the first half it was another reminder but it flew wide.

Low admitted he expected Spain to have most of the ball. Germany lined up with five across the back, Sebastian Rudy and Erik Durm functioning as wing-backs. Largely, it was as expected: the ball moved quickly on the wet surface and was usually in Spain’s possession. The touch was assured and there was pressure applied.

Yet when Germany sprang they did so purposefully. The best chance of the first half followed a lovely exchange involving Toni Kroos, Müller and Götze. His shot was saved by Casillas. Götze led another break 10 minutes later, but the move eventually ended with Rudy firing over. At the other end, Raul García headed over from Isco’s delivery.

Then the substitutions began. There were still neat touches and sharp exchanges. Again, Isco dashed through, dropping the ball off to Pedro whose clipped effort was pushed away by Zieler. A moment later, Morata smashed the ball in off the bar but the linesman’s flag had gone up, wrongly, against César Azpilicueta – a not really moment for a not really game. Until, that was, Kroos collected the ball 25 yards out with a minute to go.