Spain entered the FIFA World Cup with plenty of questions and doubts. Some people criticized Luis Enrique’s 26-man squad, mostly pointing out their lack of a traditional no. 9 striker besides Alvaro Morata.
The Spaniards made sure to silence their doubters with a statement 7-0 win over Costa Rica and looked like the best team in the competition by a long stretch. Then, they followed that big effort with a thrilling 1-1 tie with Germany.
Now, with four points, they’ll look to close out the group stage against Japan, a team that shocked the world with a 2-1 win over Germany, just to fall back to Earth with a disappointing 0-2 loss to Costa Rica.
Qatar 2022: What If Spain Tie With Japan In The FIFA World Cup?
Luis Enrique’s team is in control of its destiny. A win here would send them to the Round of 16 as the first seed in the group, and a loss wouldn’t mean the end of the road, assuming Costa Rica ties with Germany.
A tie vs. Japan would also be enough for the Spaniards to make it past the next round. They’d likely make it as the first seedunless Costa Rica somehow manages to beat Germany to reach six points.