Germany fought back to salvage a draw against Spain in the heavyweight clash of the first round of the 2022 World Cup.
Dani Olmo’s fierce drive was palmed on to the bar by Manuel Neuer after just seven minutes, while Antonio Rudiger had a headed goal disallowed just before half-time after straying offside.
Alvaro Morata was introduced as a substitute early in the second half and opened the scoring soon after with a deft finish from a Jordi Alba cross.
Jamal Musiala missed a huge chance to equalise for Germany soon after before their own substitute Niclas Fullkrug hammered in the equaliser with seven minutes remaining.
Germany’s fate in the tournament is still uncertain, as they will need to beat Costa Rica in their final game and get a favourable result in the concurrent game between Spain and Japan.
TALKING POINT
Are Germany going out in the group stages again? When Die Mannschaft were eliminated after the first round of Russia 2018 was a surreal experience for anyone who had watched them at the World Cup for decades. It felt like a one-off event on a par with a sighting of Halley’s comet.
The stars have now aligned in Qatar to offer up the chance of something even more mind-blowing: back-to-back first round exits for Europe’s most successful World Cup nation. Hansi Flick’s team were sucker-punched by Japan four days ago and looked to be slipping to another defeat after a lacklustre performance tonight.
Their late flurry of substitutions forced an equaliser, but their fate is no longer in their own hands in Qatar. Flick might be able to find a combination in his squad to get his team firing and beat Costa Rica, but whether it will have the chance to do anything else in the competition will depend on events elsewhere in the group.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – DANI OLMO (SPAIN)
They know all about him in Germany already. Olmo is a young star at RB Leipzig and has proved why so far in this World Cup. He warmed Neuer’s fingers with a rasping early drive that almost crept in, and was a constant threat on the left of the Spanish attack.
PLAYER RATINGS
Spain (4-3-3): Simon 7; Carvajal 6, Rodri 7, Laporte 6, Alba 7; Gavi 7, Busquets 6, Pedri 6; Torres 6, Asensio 7, Olmo 8
Subs: Morata 7, Koke 6, Williams 6, Balde 6
Germany (4-3-3): Neuer 7; Kehrer 6, Sule 6, Rudiger 6, Raum 7; Gundogan 7, Kimmich 6, Goretzka 7; Gnabry 6, Muller 5, Musiala 7
Subs: Klostermann 6, Sane 7, Fullkrug 7, Hofmann 6, Schlotterbeck 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
7’ OFF THE BAR! Spain have started so well here. Gavi and Asensio work the ball to Olmo on the left edge of the area; Olmo hoses a shot at goal, where Neuer gets fingers to it to tip the ball on to the underside of the bar and out.
40’ DISALLOWED GOAL! Kimmich whips the free kick in and it finds Rudiger, unmarked and 10 yards out, who plants a bouncing header past the static Simon. The celebrations are soon wiped out though, as he went too early with his run and was proved by VAR to be a yard offside.
62’ GOAL! SPAIN 1 (MORATA 62) GERMANY 0 Spain lead, and it’s the super sub again! The ball is worked wide to Alba, who rolls a teasing ball in to the front post. Morata gets across Sule, and flicks the ball with the outside of his right foot high into the net past Neuer! That’s a great finish.
73’ HUGE CHANCE! Musiala is clean through on the right of the box from a superb reverse pass. Rather than go low across goal he opts for a wallop, and it thumps off the torso of the unknowing Simon and away.
83’ GOAL! SPAIN 1 GERMANY 1 (FULLKRUG 83) They’re level out of nothing! Sane slides a ball into Musiala, who tries to Cruyff-turn into the box. It breaks to Fullkrug, who absolutely hammers a 15-yard drive high into the roof past Simon. What a finish in store now!
