For 90 minutes, the fortunes of four teams - Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica - shifted and turned in ways that put fans and spectators at the edge of their seats.
Japan eventually topped a group, which comprised two former World Cup winners, while Spain won, mostly by virtue of the 7-0 thrashing it meted out to Costa Rica in its first game.
Germany paid for its capitulation in the first game, while Costa Rica for a brief while, in its clash against Germany, threatened to put both the European sides out of the group stage.
Here is how Group G table positions twisted and turned over 90 minutes on December 2:
Kick off
When both the games started, Spain and Japan, who were facing each other, where at the top of the group. Spain just needed a point to secure qualification, while the other three had their qualification hopes interlinked with each other.
10’ Gnabry scores
Serge Gnabry scores for Germany against Costa Rica and that put it level with Japan, but behind on goal difference.
Germany’s Serge Gnabry scores the first goal against Costa Rica. | Photo Credit: Reuters
11’ Morata scores
Alvaro Morata scores to give Spain the lead in the game and the group and thereby pushing Japan down and Germany ahead in the table.
48’ Doan scores
Japan strikes back straight after the restart through Ritsu Doan to climb back to second.
51’ Tanaka scores
Three minutes later, Ao Tanaka gave Japan the lead, which it maintained throughout, putting it at top of the table and Spain in second. The goal though came in controversial circumstances as the ball looked to have gone out before Tanaka pushed it in.
Ao Tanaka of Japan celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group E match between Japan and Spain at Khalifa International Stadium on December 01, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
58’ Tajeda scores
Costa Rica entered the mix after Yeltsin Tejeda pounced on a Manuel Neuer rebound to equalise against Germany and move to third.
70’ Neuer own goal
Costa Rica piled on the pressure and was rewarded with a go-ahead goal, taking it above Spain into third.
73’ Havertz scores
Germany makes it level through Kai Havertz, but the 2014 winner was still at fourth.
Kai Havertz of Germany scores the third goal past Keylor Navas of Costa Rica. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
85’ Havertz scores again
Havertz found the net again to give Germany the lead back. But it was still only third and wanted Spain to score a goal against Japan to progress.
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FULL TIME
Germany scores again to make it 4-2 against Costa Rica, but Japan holds off Spain.
At the end of all the chaos, Japan topped the group, followed by Spain, while Germany exited in the group stage of the FIFA World Cup for the second time running.
