Soccer is no longer a sport in which they play eleven against eleven and Germany always wins. Lineker has hung up his boots for years and the Mannschaft is forced to look in the rear-view mirror to enjoy its best successes. The four stars that shine on his shield continue to be a majestic letter of introduction and, from the outset, they are imposing. Even to the Spain of Luis Enrique. "His story of him is there, no one doubts that, and he has top players in the world," confirmed the national coach, more relaxed than expected in the hours before meeting again with the four-time world champion in Qatar.
The German legend is so powerful that it can invite misreadings. On June 17, 1988, a double by the unmistakable Rudi Völler at the Olympiastadion in Munich sealed Spain's elimination from the Eurocup. 34 years have passed since then and the red has not lost again in an official match against the German roller. Since then, goals like Fernando Torres's in the Vienna final (2008) or Puyol's in the Durban semi-final (2010) have already become part of the collective imagination of Spanish fans. What's more, the last time the two teams met, already with Luis Enrique on the bench, a hat-trick from Ferran Torres propelled a historic score, a 6-0 in the Nations League that is difficult to forget.
The situation that looms over the Al Bait stadium in Al Khor tonight goes from euphoria to drama without much space in between. A victory would qualify Spain for the round of 16 in a virtual way, which would be mathematical in the event that Costa Rica does not beat Japan, and at the same time it would leave Germany in the gutter at the first opportunity. Four years ago, in Russia, the German team defended the title but came last in their group in the first phase. "We have planned the game as if it were a round of 16, if we win we qualify," said Luis Enrique, always attentive to all the details on and off the pitch.
After losing to Japan in their first match, Hansi Flick's Germany faces the duel with much more urgency than a Spain full of enthusiasm after endorsing Costa Rica 7-0. A double-edged scenario for the national team. “We are managing the game normally, nothing more. Debuting in such a forceful way generates a lot of confidence but we don't have to go too far, we have to find the right trigger point. Germany meets all the requirements for us to trust ourselves because if it can't run over us", warned Luis Enrique calmly, as if aware that his men will not make that mistake.
On the pitch, without external loads, the Spanish players get a match of those they want to play, against a rival with an idea very similar to theirs. Spain will look in the mirror. “Germany is the team that most resembles us. He always plays attacking, presses in the opposite field and likes to have the ball”, recounted the Spanish coach.
"They like to have possession, like us, Flick already did it at Bayern," stressed Dani Olmo, a player for German Leipzig and a friend of some of the rivals he will face. The questioned put an end to the appearances of the previous one. "I have told my players that Spain plays a 4-3-3 like Barça and that it has very clear automatisms, that we have to find the balance", certified Hansi Flick, the German coach, who will have the doubt of Thomas Müller until the final.
