New Jersey, June 26 -- Four-time champions Germany's shock 2-1 loss to Ecuador exposed one of the team's lingering issues in the tournament, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past nine games at the grandest stage.

Ecuador sealed their name in the round of 32 despite a fiery start from Germany, with Leroy Sane scoring within 1:49 minutes. The South American nation came back from behind, defeating an already qualified Germany for a massive morale-boosting win.

As per Opta Analyst, Germany has failed to maintain a clean sheet in its last nine FIFA World Cup matches, which is their joint-longest such streak from the 1934 to 1954 edition. Their last shutout came during the 2014 final against Argentina.

40-year-old Manuel Ne...