Qatar 2022: What happens if Spain and Germany tie in the group stage game?

This is the match everyone is expecting. Two World Champions meet in Qatar 2022 with a lot at stake in Group E. Spain and Germany face off at Al Bayt Stadium with bitter recent episodes for the Mannschaft after losing the World Cup semifinal in South Africa 2010 and the 2008 UEFA Euro final against the Spanish squad.

Spain started the World Cup in Qatar with the best performance by any team defeating Costa Rica in a 7-0 blowout. Manager Luis Enrique is going all-in with a young generation of players led by Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati. Since the 2010 title, Spain haven't reached the quarterfinals and that's the first target in this edition of the tournament.

Germany had everything under control winning 1-0 against Japan. However, in one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup, Japan came back and took the victory (2-1). This means the Germans are on the verge of elimination for an incredible second consecutive time. In Russia 2018, Germany couldn't surpass the group stage against rivals like Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.

Can Germany be eliminated against Spain with a tie?

The answer for Germany is no and that's because they got a lot of help from Costa Rica. The CONCACAF team beat Japan 1-0 on Matchday 2 and that changed everything in Group E. If Japan had won, Germany would have been out of the tournament with a loss against Spain. Now, that scenario doesn't exist thanks to Costa Rica's triumph.

However, if the game with Spain ends in a tie, Germany would be in a lot of trouble. In that scenario, Spain would have 4 points, Japan and Costa Rica 3 and Germany would find themselves in the bottom with 1. So, in their last match of the tournament, Hansi Flick's squad will be in a must-win scenario against Costa Rica. These are all the possible combinations for Matchday 3 if Spain and Germany draw.

If Spain beat Japan and Germany defeat Costa Rica, Spain and Germany are in. If Spain and Japan tie and Germany beat Costa Rica, Spain advance and the second-place will be determined by goal differential between Germany and Japan. If Japan win against Spain and Germany take the victory with Costa Rica, Japan are in and the second-place will be determined by goal differential between Spain and Germany. That would be a really tough scenario for the Germans because Spain have a 7-0 on their record. 

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