Pre-tournament favourites Brazil failed to win their opening game of a World Cup for the first time since 1978 as Switzerland earned a valuable 1-1 draw in Rostov-on-Don. The five-time champions, so often lauded for their flair, failed to sparkle after Philippe Coutinhos superbly curled opener on 20 minutes. Tites side - with Gabriel Jesus and Willian alongside Neymar in a front three - could offer only fleeting moments of fluid play and Steven Zubers header from a corner earned the Swiss a deserved point. Brazil may point to a push by Zuber to free him from his marker but the fact Coutinhos strike remained their only effort on target until 77 minutes points to their struggles in the final third. The draw brings to an end Brazils run of nine wins in opening World Cup fixtures, and both sides now trail Group E leaders Serbia, who beat Costa Rica earlier on Sunday. Mexico upset Germany Defending champions Germany made a disastrous start to their bid to win back-to-back World Cups with a shock defeat by Mexico. Hirving Lozanos first-half goal was the difference between the two sides in an enthralling encounter in Moscow, but the surprising result was not the only concern for Germany coach Joachim Low. His disjointed side looked extraordinarily vulnerable on the break even before Javier Hernandez punished them with the pass that set up Lozano to cut inside fire home. Toni Kroos almost replied instantly with a free-kick but Guillermo Ochoa tipped it on to the bar and that was the closest Germany came to an equaliser. Despite facing some sustained late pressure, Mexico held on to inflict a first World Cup defeat on Die Mannschaft since they lost to Spain in the 2010 semi-final. This was also the first time a German side had lost their opening game of this tournament since 1982, when West Germany were upset by Algeria. In another Group F match on Sunday, Aleksandar Kolarov scored a spectacular free-kick to give Serbia a deserved 1-0 victory in their World Cup opener against Costa Rica. Agencies
