FIFA WC: “Maybe it is the spark we need”, says Hansi Flick after Germany’s draw against Spain
Germany’s head coach Hansi Flick called his team’s draw against Spain the required spark that his side needs after they lost their opening game in the ongoing FIFA World Cup. “Things come to you when you start winning. Maybe it is the spark we need,” expressed Hansi Flick as quoted by ESPN.
Spain were leading with Alvaro Morata’s goal until the 82nd minute and were almost at the cusp of their second win in the tournament before Niclas Fullkrug turned up to score for Germany, helping the four-time champions avoid the embarrassment of consecutive losses. The coach mentioned that the team knew was at a claim against Spain and rued the missed chances to close out the game in the dying minutes.
“We knew what was at stake. Spain played good football but the teams were level and we had a huge chance in the end to win it but these things happen,” stated Flick. The second half saw both teams stepping in with no change to their lineups, with both teams determined to break the deadlock.
Spain had the first crack at a scoring opportunity with Asensio sending a cross towards Ferran Torres from the left side but Manuel Neuer intercepted it and gave Germany a counterattack opportunity. Thomas Muller tried to race to the goal but his touch to the ball saw the linesman eventually raise the offside flag. The midfield play was again dominated by youngsters Pedri and Gavi for Spain as they looked threatening. Morata was brought in as Spain searched for the elusive goal to take the lead and the striker delivered in the 62nd minute as he found the net through Jordi Alba’s superb cross.
Spaniard Asensio had the chance to double the lead in the 65th minute but the chance went begging as he couldn’t finish well and the ball flew way above the German goalpost. Musiala displayed great skill in shooting the ball towards the Spanish goalpost but Unai Simon was quick to react and prevent Germany from finding the equalizer.
Germany found the elusive goal from the boot of Fullkrug in the 83rd minute who thumped the ball past Simon, giving German fans the chance to erupt in a massive cheer. Both teams had a chance to score another goal but none found success as they settled for a draw.
Spain held onto the top spot in the group with the draw while Germany opened its account in the points table. However, the four-time champions found themselves at the bottom of the table with just two games remaining. An action-packed first half between Spain and Germany ended with a scoreline of 0-0 at the Al Bayt Stadium in a crucial Group E match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
The half saw Spain controlling the initial play with Germany finding it difficult to get possession of the ball in the initial minutes. German players kept chasing the ball with Spain controlling the midfield through Pedri and Gavi. Dani Olmo almost scored in the 7th minute after attempting a long-range shot with his right foot, but it hit the crossbar as Germany narrowly avoided conceding the first goal. Gavi advanced the ball to the German penalty area before passing it to Pedri, who then sent it to Olmo.
Germany got possession in the 9th minute and put ahead their first attack in the 10th minute. Spain breached the German box in the 21st minute with Jordi Alba taking a shy at the goal in the 22nd minute that just went wide. Spain had another chance at goal in the 25th minute with Gabri just outside the German box trying to score. In the 27th minute, Ferran Torres had a clear shot at the goal but had his attempt deflected by a defender.
Ferran Torres in the 33rd minute again had a shot at the goal but Musiala came in with a brilliant touch to deflect the ball away. Thilo Kehrer was issued the first yellow card for his challenge of Torres. Germany were ahead of Spain for a brief moment as Antonio Rudiger ventured offside by just half a torso after heading the ball into the net in the 40th minute much to the German fans’ disappointment.
Spain counterattacked in the 41st minute but could not breach the German box, as the opponent defenders filled the box in defence. Sergio Busquets fouled Musiala to stop the speeding youngster from advancing towards the Spanish box in the 44th minute.
A live wire in th field, Rudiger made a thumping effort on a volley in the 45th minute but failed to find the back of the net. Spain was knocking on the door quite loudly after a corner through Gavi in the dying minutes of the first half but were denied a chance at the goal as the German defenders cleared the ball. (ANI)
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