Germany salvages 1-1 draw with Spain at World Cup

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Germany forward Niclas Füllkrug salvaged a 1-1 draw against Spain on Sunday at the World Cup.

The Germans still need to win their last group match to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage. The four-time champions were eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Russia.

Germany will next face Costa Rica, which defeated Japan 1-0 earlier Sunday. Even a win may not be enough for the Germans, who are in last place in Group E and need the other result to go their way.

Spain can reach the last 16 with a draw against Japan.

Álvaro Morata put Spain ahead in the 62nd minute and Füllkrug equalized for Germany in the 83rd.

The match between the pre-tournament favorites was one of the most anticipated in the group stage.

Spain tried to control the pace of the game with ball possession but wasn’t able to create many opportunities, while Germany was able to threaten sporadically with breakaways and set pieces.

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