Low's hard work paying off with Germany

Initial reaction understandably focused on the host nation licking its wounds and venting its anger on the back of a staggering and unprecedented semi-final capitulation.

Similarly, Low, who boasts a team of players with bulging club medal collections but lacking a major prize on the international stage, knows the Estadio Mineirao masterclass will count for nothing if Germany fail to lift the World Cup for a fourth time at Rio de Janeiro's fabled Maracana on Sunday.

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