Japan and Spain continue, Germany eliminated

The two big favorites in Group E get into trouble on the last day of the game. Spain are trembling into the round of 16 despite losing 2-1 to Japan. In these, the Iberians meet Morocco. Meanwhile, Japan will have to deal with Croatia. Germany has to go home.

Serge Gnabry gives Germany a 1-0 lead. The German football world was still fine back then.

Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters

(dpa) Spain and Japan made it into the round of 16 together in a thriller for the group finals – and ended Germany’s dream of the World Cup. After beating Germany at the start, the Japanese celebrated the next 2-1 coup against the 2010 world champions and could hardly believe their luck. The outsider now plays in the first knockout round on Monday against World Cup runners-up Croatia. Coach Luis Enrique’s Spanish team will face Morocco a day later.

Alvaro Morata, with his third goal of the tournament (11th minute), put the initially sovereign Spain ahead in front of 44,851 spectators in Al-Rayyan. Joker Ritsu Doan from SC Freiburg managed to equalize (48th), just like against the DFB selection. Shortly thereafter, the jubilation knew no bounds when the Düsseldorf professional Ao Tanaka made it 2-1 (51st).

Japan reached the round of 16 like they did four years ago when they were eliminated by Belgium. The Spaniards only showed a sovereign performance in the first half and then were completely surprised. In 2018 they failed in the round of 16 in Russia because of the host team.

In view of the comfortable starting position, Luis Enrique rotated powerfully and changed his team to five positions. Among other things, the 52-year-old brought on the young professionals Alejandro Balde (19) for the previously strong left-back Jordi Alba and Nico Williams (20) in attack. RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo started for the third time in the tournament, this time alongside Morata. The Atlético Madrid forward justified his first start in Qatar after just 11 minutes when he headed in a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta to open the scoring.

But when Costa Rica also turned the game against Germany, Spain slipped from first to third for a short time. But that also changed quickly. Spain escaped unscathed once again.

It’s over and done with for German football, four years after the historic preliminary round loss in Russia. After Joachim Löw in Russia, Hansi Flick was also badly hit at the World Cup in Qatar. The poor 4:2 against Costa Rica after late joker goals by Kai Havertz (73rd/85th minute) and Niclas Füllkrug (89th) secured a win, but no longer made it into the knockout stages.

After another unsuccessful preliminary round, the German players, who came here with dreams of the title, fly back home disgraced, where restless Advent days with critical questions about the future await the DFB, national coach Flick and national team director Oliver Bierhoff.

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