One of the most anticipated group games at the 2022 World Cup went down to the wire and was decided by two substitute strikers.
Álvaro Morata came off the bench as a second-half reserve and promptly delivered a 62nd-minute goal to fire Spain in front of Germany in their second Group E game in Qatar, only for a German substitute, Niclas Füllkrug, to answer with one of his own 20 minutes later. The two teams settled for a 1–1 draw, which suits both in their respective quests to reach the knockout stage.
Germany’s loss to Japan in their opening game meant Die Mannschaft came into this one against a fellow European power and World Cup winner desperately needing to bounce back in some facet. That was a difficult ask after Spain announced its presence in Qatar by thrashing Costa Rica, 7–0, in their group opener. Costa Rica did Germany a bit of a solid by beating Japan earlier in the day, though, meaning a defeat to Spain wouldn’t have spelled the end for Germany at the World Cup.
