As reported by Tagesspiegel, the goalless draw between Spain and Cape Verde has far-reaching consequences for the German national team. The result means that the DFB team can secure early entry into the knockout round with a win against Ivory Coast on Saturday (10:30 p.m., ZDF and MagentaTV) in Toronto.
The reason lies in the complicated World Cup format: For the first time, 48 teams are competing in twelve groups, with 32 advancing to the intermediate round – including the eight best third-placed teams. Since draws also occurred in Groups B, C, F, and H, the third-placed teams in those groups can achieve a maximum of five points. Germany would have six points with a win, making them at least third in their group – regardless of other results.
Should they miss out on first or second place, the team coached by Julian Nagelsmann would, in the worst case, be one of the eight best third-placed teams. An early group-stage exit like in 2018 and 2022 would thus be ruled out. The calculation also applies to the final group match on June 25 against Ecuador in East Rutherford. After the emphatic 7-1 win against Curaçao, the risk of an early exit is already low.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
