Germany slumped to a 2-1 loss in Klagenfurt on Thursday against an impressive Croatia side, who with that win claimed one of the two qualifying berths from Group B.

Germany are still in second spot thanks to their opening triumph over Poland, but they know another reverse against neighbours and co-hosts Austria in Vienna will spell the end of their Euro 2008 dreams.

Low, who took over the Germany post from Jurgen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup, admits his team were "poor" against Croatia but does not believe the setback will cause any lasting damage.

"Over the past two to three years, we have had a number of defeats, we did not only win," he said.

"However, the team managed to get over previous defeats, and I'm confident we will be able to do so before our next match.

"I am sure that we will be able to perform differently and better on Monday."

Low's side earned plaudits for their 2-0 victory over Poland, while in contrast Croatia found themselves facing criticism for their performance in their 1-0 win over Austria.

It was a totally different story on Thursday though, as Low's men found it tough to get going against a Croatia side that not only nullified Germany's much-vaunted attack, but also caused major problems for their defence.

Low dismissed any suggestion that they had been over-confident going into the match.

"I wouldn't say so, obviously after a win such as the one we had against Poland, everyone was euphoric and you have to be euphoric and you have to nurture these positive feelings if you want to be successful," Low said.

"But I wouldn't say we underestimated our opponents or rested on our laurels, just the opposite."

For Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, the victory will have brought back happy memories from his playing days.

Bilic was part of the Croatia team that recorded their nation's only previous victory over Germany when they won 3-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals in 1998, and the 39-year-old was able to mastermind another famous win on Thursday, this time from the touchline.

That was not the first impressive scalp Bilic has achieved since taking over as Croatia coach two years ago, as he also guided his side to a 3-2 victory over England at Wembley during qualifying.

The former West Ham and Everton defender believes Thursday's win eclipsed that London triumph though, saying: "Of course Wembley is a special story, it is a famous stadium worldwide.

"But it was an all-or-nothing match for the English, not for us, because three days earlier in Skopje (against FYR Macedonia) we already had our ticket for Euro 2008 in our pockets.

"This is a bigger achievement, but we prepare for every match equally and we cherish every win, especially one like this."

The impressive manner of Croatia's win over the Germans will undoubtedly lead to increased expectations of Bilic's side for the remainder of the tournament.

Bilic downplayed talk of a possible title run though, saying: "Each side here can win Euro 2008, apart from Switzerland who have already dropped out. The differences (between teams) in modern football is small."

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