Germany kept their FIFA World Cup campaign alive after battling back to salvage a 1-1 draw against Spain on Sunday night.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Result: Spain 1-1 Germany
Date: 27 November 2022
Venue: Al Bayt Stadium
La Roja kept the same side that hammered Costa Rica, bar Dani Carvajal, as the front trio of Ferran Torres, Marco Asensio and Dani Olmo prevailed.
Meanwhile, Hansi Flick did away with a false number nine role for Germany upfront, as Kai Havertz dropped to the bench and Thomas Muller led the attack, supported by Jamal Musiala, IIkay Gundogan and Serge Gnabry.
Luis Enrique's charges had a bright start as Olmo came close to firing them ahead on seven minutes with a powerful shot in the box that was parried into the crossbar by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Spain continued to shade an open contest, as Jordi Alba almost broke the deadlock midway through the first stanza after his right-footed shot from range zipped past the near post.
Die Mannschaft grew in the game and they thought they drew first blood shortly before the interval after Antonio Rudiger powered home a free header in the box from a cross by Joshua Kimmich but the goal was disallowed for offside after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
The sides were evenly matched early in the second and just after Enrique brought on Alvaro Morata in place of Torres for a change of shape going forward, Spain were fortunate not to concede from a mistake at back by goalkeeper Unai Simon, who redeemed himself to keep out a strike by Kimmich in the box.
Enrique's instincts were proven to be spot on, as Morata broke the deadlock just after the hour-mark with a flick past Neuer at the near post after a through ball by Alba.
Flick reacted with changes from the bench with 20 minutes to go, as he went direct in attack with the introduction of Leroy Sane, who missed the opening game due to a knee injury and Niclas Fullkrug.
Germany immediately gained momentum and after Simon denied Musiala from close range but he could not do anything about a rocket by Fullkrug seven minutes before time from a similar range that found the top corner after the Werder Bremen forward burst through on goal.
The sides went all out in the dying minutes in search of the winner and Sane spurned a good chance for Die Mannschaft in the tail end in ended all square.
Spain remain top of Group E with four points while Germany got their first point at the bottom of the section and need a victory in their last group game against Costa Rica to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
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