Germany are alive. Not just that, but their reward is one of the juiciest -- in terms of history and hype -- matches that the game has to offer: a Euro 2020 knockout game at Wembley against England. How about that?

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Fundamentally, though, Germany are still alive because having been outplayed, out-thought and out-fought by Hungary, Jogi Low turned to the only tonic remaining in his medicine kit. It was the equivalent of pulling your goalie off the ice in hockey, or sending out five receivers and chucking a Hail Mary in American football: keep substituting defensive players for attacking players and pray that someone does something.

Essentially, cross your fingers and walk away a fool or a king. Or, more accurately in this case, a fallen sage, whose sophisticated plans turned to dust and who was ultimately saved by the bluntest of tactical instruments.

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When Leon Goretzka's deflected shot skimmed off Hungary keeper Peter Gulacsi's foot and into the goal, there were six minutes to go. Six minutes until Germany made history: Never before had they fallen at the first hurdle in two consecutive major tournaments. There were also six forwards on the pitch -- twice the number Germany had begun the game with.

After the goal -- when momentum did a 180-degree turn, as it so often does at this stage of tournament football, and Hungary were now the ones needing a score to avoid elimination -- Germany finished with a back four that featured a winger (Leroy Sane) and a striker (Timo Werner) at full-back.

Rightly or wrongly, international football is a game of stereotypes: Brazil is creative, Italy is defensive, Colombia is flaky, Uruguay is tough as rusty nails. Germany's label had always been one of staid solidity and reliability. Even when they transitioned to a more creative, high-energy style in the modern era, and even when they weren't particularly good, there was always a plan: There was rarely desperation and hit-and-hope. Yet there was plenty of it in Munich on Wednesday night under the driving rain.

So much of what worked in the 4-2 win over Portugal was nowhere to be seen. The wingback duo of Robin Gosens and Joshua Kimmich, so devastating against Cristiano Ronaldo's crew, was largely silenced by an organised back five that ensured neither was afforded much space.

So much of what did not work was, again, painfully evident. Matthias Ginter and Mats Hummels will get the blame for letting Adam Szalai sneak between them and drive his header into the wet pitch and past Manuel Neuer after 11 minutes, but they're not alone. Watch it again: There are eight German players behind the ball when Roland Sallai hits his ball into the box. Hungary had just won the ball back in transition. There is no way that should have happened.

Germany went into the break stunned, having produced nothing other than a Hummels strike off the woodwork. It was as if they were sleepwalking, numbed by a Hungary side who will be going home early but deserve a ton of credit. They were written off by everyone (including yours truly) in part because they were the 19th-ranked team in the tournament, in part because they were without their best player, the injured Dominik Szoboszlai, in part because they were in a group with the reigning European champions, Portugal, they reigning World Cup champions, France and yes, Germany, who rarely screw things up two tournaments in a row.

Instead this team, featuring just four guys who ply their trade in a "Big Five" European league, held Portugal to a 0-0 draw until six minutes from time, had held France to a 1-1 draw and were beating Germany in Germany. Their coach, Marco Rossi, an Italian globetrotter as a player -- he was the first Italian to play in the Bundesliga and had played for Club America in Mexico, where he was managed by one Marcelo Bielsa -- who had spent the past decade in Hungary, was working miracles.