On Sunday, four crucial matches from Group E and Group F of the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be held, with the biggest one being the Germany vs Spain match. The 2014 champions, Germany, could be out of the tournament if they lose the contest. Let’s take a look at the group-phase matches that are all set to take place on Qatar World Cup Day 8.
Group E
The two matches in Group E that will be held today are Japan vs Costa Rica at 4 p.m. (BST) and Spain vs Germany at 1 a.m. Monday (BST).
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Japan vs Costa Rica
Japan started off their campaign with a big surprise, beating one of the tournament favourites Germany, 2-1 in their opening fixture. Japan now have a great opportunity to move on to the next round with a game in hand if they can overcome a relatively weaker opponent, Costa Rica, on Sunday at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Costa Rica's only realistic possibility of getting a result in this World Cup is against Japan. So, the North American side can only hope to spoil the party for Japan by snatching a point from the contest.
Germany vs Spain
Germany, the four-time World Cup champion, will be eliminated from the tournament if they lose to Spain today. The German side has to win the contest if they want to remain firm in their quest for a Round of 16 berth.
For Spain, the equation is very simple: they will secure a place in the knockout round if they beat Germany. With the kind of performance Spain showed in their last fixture against Costa Rica, it will be tough for Germany to get a result from this contest.
Group F
The two Group F fixtures that will be held today are: Belgium vs Morocco at 7 p.m. (BST) and Croatia vs Canada at 10 p.m. (BST).
Belgium vs Morocco
Belgium holds the top spot in Group F after beating Canada 1-0 in their opening match. They now get a chance to progress to the next phase when they meet Morocco today. Winning this match will send Belgium to the Round of 16.
Morocco did well against Croatia in their opening fixture. They managed to hold the 2018 World Cup runner-up team to a scoreless draw. If Morocco want to move on to the next round, they also can't afford to lose this match. But they should attempt to oust Belgium in order to spice up the equation even more.
Croatia vs Canada
Croatia should be disappointed after failing to secure a victory over Morocco. They will likely be a bit nervous when taking on Canada on Sunday. But anything less than victory would put their Round of 16 berth in jeopardy. So, the Croatian side is expected to go all out against Canada.
Canada's expectations are lower, so they will be under less pressure against Croatia. Since a loss in this game would mean Canada's World Cup campaign would be finished at the group stage, they are expected to be more aggressive and try to surprise Croatia.
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Aftermath
Despite the importance of the other three matchups, the Germany vs Spain clash will be the focus of all attention from the media on Day 8 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Germany's potential elimination from the tournament's group stage would make the headlines for the next day.