Fullkrug Salvages Draw Against Spain But Germany Still Have Problems
Niclas Fullkrug breathed life into Germany’s World Cup hopes with a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Spain and save the 2014 world champions from a second successive defeat at Qatar 2022.
As reported by ESPN, although a loss would not have ended Germany’s qualification prospects due to other results in Group E, Fullkrug’s strike, which cancelled out Alvaro Morata’s opener, means that a win against Costa Rica will almost certainly be enough to take Hansi Flick’s team through.
Neither Muller Nor Fullkrug the Key For Germany
Thomas Muller has earned his place in Germany’s hall of fame with 44 goals in 120 appearances and a World Cup winners’ medal in 2014, but time has caught up with the 33-year-old. And Germany’s problems are personified by the Bayern Munich forward, with the lack of a credible alternative forcing coach Hansi Flick to persist with a player who retired from international football following Euro 2020.
Timo Werner’s injury-enforced absence from the World Cup hasn’t helped Germany’s prospects, but the RB Leipzig player’s lack of impact in the Premier League with Chelsea showed that he has never been the answer to the Germans’ issues. So Flick continues to go with Muller, despite the player scoring just once in his last seven international matches prior to the clash with Spain.
Muller struggled to trouble Spain’s defence at Al Bayt Stadium before being substituted in the second half, but his replacement, Niclas Fullkrug went on to score the equaliser that Germany’s qualification hopes alive.
Yet Fullkrug, at 29, is not the solution for Germany either. The Werder Bremen forward was making just his third international appearance against Spain and he now has two goals, but he is not in the class of previous German strikers. But his goal means that Germany can qualify with a win against Costa Rica later this week and Flick may now choose to start him ahead of Muller.
