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Spain and Germany shared the spoils in a League A fixture in the UEFA Nations League earlier today as a late Jose Gaya goal earned Luis Enrique's side an important draw against a strong German outfit. Neither team had a clear upper hand throughout the game and both sets of players looked considerably tired after an extended season.
Germany are yet to win a match in the UEFA Nations League and Joachim Low's drought continued as a late flurry of chances finally resulted in an equaliser for Spain. Timo Werner had given Germany the lead at the hour-mark and had to watch from the sidelines and Spain stole a point from the dying embers of the game.
Spain and Germany started the game slowly as both sides tried to find their feet for the first ten minutes. Germany had better chances in the opening stages of the game as forays into the final third from Leroy Sane and Thilo Kehrer drew saves for Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea.
Rodrigo had a golden opportunity to open the scoring after a horrid pass from Emre Can gave the ball to the Spaniards but the striker failed to get his shot away. Germany were marginally the better side in the first half but positive performances from Thiago and Ferran Torres saw Spain create chances of their own.
Timo Werner broke the deadlock at the hour-mark with an excellent finish that left David de Gea flat-footed between the sticks. The Chelsea striker was also involved in a few excellent attacking moves and was Germany's chief threat in the second half.
The introduction of Ansu Fati injected some much-needed energy into Spain's forward line in the second half and Germany struggled to get on to the ball after the opening goal.
The Barcelona youngster found the back of the net with an excellent header in stoppage-time but the goal was ruled out after Sergio Ramos had committed a foul in the build-up.
#5 Hit - Thiago Alcantara (Spain)
Spain is known for its technically gifted midfielders and Thiago Alcantara has finally taken his place as the rightful heir to Xavi's throne in La Furia Roja's midfield. The Bayern Munich star played the role of puppet-master to perfection and controlled the tempo of the game from the middle of the pitch.
Starting alongside Fabian Ruiz and Sergio Busquets in a three-man midfield, Thiago linked the defence and the attack with consummate ease and was one of Spain's best players on the day.
The former Barcelona midfielder also brought his dribbling abilities to the fore on several occasions and put in a monumental shift of the ball. With Thiago Alcantara in the form of his life, Spain's midfield is in safe hands.
#4 Flop - Kevin Trapp (Germany)
Kevin Trapp started ahead of Bernd Leno in this fixture and did nothing of note to prove his credentials against a Spanish side that gave him his fair share of difficult moments. The shot-stopper rushed out of his goal on several occasions and while he did make a few good saves, most of his decisions were ill-advised at best.
Trapp also struggled to play the ball to his defensive line as Spain used Rodrigo and Ferran Torres to press the Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper into losing the ball on several occasions.
Kevin Trapp also looked unsure of his capabilities in set-piece situations and could have done more to stop Jose Gaya's point-blank finish in stoppage-time. The shot-stopper is sure to lose his place in the starting eleven after Neuer and Ter Stegen return to the squad.
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#3 Hit - Ferran Torres (Spain)
Ferran Torres had an excellent debut for Spain and tormented Germany's full-backs throughout the game. The Manchester City signing was a livewire in the first half and hugged the touch-line to provide plenty of width for a Spain side that was constantly looking for outlets in the final third.
The former Valencia winger was engaged in an intriguing individual battle with Thilo Kehrer in the first half and his ability to cut inside with pace gave Germany several problems. The versatile forward switched to the right flank in the second half and put in an excellent performance against the in-form Robin Gosens.
Ferran Torres played a crucial role in Spain's late equaliser and got past the Atalanta full-back to produce an inch-perfect cross that resulted in Valencia teammate Jose Gaya's goal. The winger is an excellent prospect and will play an important role for Spain in the future.
#2 Flop - Rodrigo Moreno (Spain)
Rodrigo led the line for Spain against Germany and struggled with his final product in the attacking half of the pitch. The Spanish forward worked hard off the ball but his inability to convert important chances cost Luis Enrique's side a crucial victory tonight.
Spain had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the first half after a terribly miscued pass from Emre Can resulted in Rodrigo having the best chance of the game. The Spaniard had an open goal to aim at but took far too many touches and allowed Kevin Trapp to recover and win the ball back for Germany.
Rodrigo also struggled to link up with his attacking teammates in the first half and spurned several opportunities to create chances for his fellow forwards. The Leeds United signing dropped into the midfield on several occasions but was unable to produce anything of note for Spain. Rodrigo Moreno may well lose his place in Spain's starting eleven to Alvaro Morata in the upcoming international fixtures.
#1 Hit - Toni Kroos (Germany)
Toni Kroos put in a nearly flawless performance for Germany today and pulled the strings for his side against a formidable Spain midfield. The Real Madrid maestro was Germany's best player on the night and created several chances for his teammates in the first half.
Kroos disguised an excellent pass to Timo Werner in the opening stages of the game but the Chelsea forward's run was ruled out for being marginally offside. The Real Madrid midfielder also played a pinpoint cross to Thilo Kehrer and forced a good save from David de Gea.
Toni Kroos was also able to disrupt Spain's passing rhythm on several occasions and was a threat from set-piece situations. The German midfielder is one of the most experienced members in Joachim Low's side and has brilliantly stepped into his role as the leader of the side.
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