Germany started the Qatar 2022 World Cup losing against Japan and now faces Spain in the most expected match of the group stage. Read here to find out all the severe consequences a tie could have for both teams.
This is the match everyone is waiting for. Two world champions meet in Qatar 2022, with a lot at stake in Group E. Spain and Germany face each other at the Al Bayt Stadium with bitter recent episodes for the Mannschaft following defeats in the 2010 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa and the UEFA Euro 2008 final against the Spanish side.
Spain opened the World Cup in Qatar with the best performance of any team, beating Costa Rica with a 7-0 win. Manager Luis Enrique is going all-in with a young generation of players led by Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati. Since the 2010 title, Spain have not reached the quarter-finals and that is the first goal in this edition of the tournament.
Germany was in control, winning 1-0 against Japan. However, in one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup, Japan came back and took the victory (2:1). This means that the Germans are on the brink of elimination for an incredible second time in a row. At Russia 2018, Germany failed to get past the group stage against opponents such as Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.
Can Germany be eliminated against Spain with a tie?
The answer for Germany is no and that’s because they got a lot of help from Costa Rica. The CONCACAF team beat Japan 1-0 on Matchday 2 and that changed everything in Group E. If Japan had won, Germany would have been out of the tournament with a loss against Spain. Now, that scenario doesn’t exist thanks to Costa Rica’s triumph.
However, if the game with Spain ends in a tie, Germany would be in a lot of trouble. In that scenario, Spain would have 4 points, Japan and Costa Rica 3 and Germany would find themselves in the bottom with 1. So, in their last match of the tournament, Hansi Flick’s squad will be in a must-win scenario against Costa Rica. These are all the possible combinations for Matchday 3 if Spain and Germany draw.
If Spain beat Japan and Germany defeat Costa Rica, Spain and Germany are in. If Spain and Japan tie and Germany beat Costa Rica, Spain advance and the second-place will be determined by goal differential between Germany and Japan. If Japan win against Spain and Germany take the victory with Costa Rica, Japan are in and the second-place will be determined by goal differential between Spain and Germany. That would be a really tough scenario for the Germans because Spain have a 7-0 on their record.