Germany held Spain to a 1-1 draw at Al Bayt Stadium as Niclas Fullkrug came off the bench to earn Germany its first point in a World Cup game in Qatar.
Alvaro Morata, a substitute for Spain, scored the game’s first goal in the second half of the Group E heavyweights match on Sunday in Doha.
After being shocked by Japan in their initial encounter, Fullkrug ensured Germany didn’t suffer back-to-back losses by tying the score with seven minutes remaining in regulation.
Germany must defeat Costa Rica and hope that La Roja does them a favor in order for them to have any chance of making it out of the group stage. Spain remains top after the draw, ahead of their final match against Japan.
In the opening minutes of the first half, Spain controlled the play while the Germans struggled to gain control of the ball. Spanish players Pedri and Gavi controlled the midfield as German players continued to chase the ball.
In the seventh minute, Germany almost escaped conceding the opening goal when Dani Olmo attempted a long-range drive with his right foot but it hit the crossbar. Pedri then handed the ball to Olmo after Gavi advanced the ball to the German penalty area.
Germany gained control in the ninth minute and launched its first offensive in the tenth minute. To the dismay of the German fans, Antonio Rudiger’s attempt to head the ball into the goal in the 40th minute just missed being offside by a fraction of a torso, giving Germany a brief lead over Spain.
In the 41st minute, Spain launched a counterattack but was unable to enter the German penalty area because the German defense had stuffed the area.