Fullkrug proving the unlikely saviour of Germany's World Cup campaign
Kai Havertz as a striker for Germany failed. Thomas Muller as a striker for Germany failed. Niclas Fullkrug as the super-sub worked, or at least it did against Spain. With 20 minutes to go, Germany stared down the very likely scenario of a second successive World Cup group stage exit as they trailed Spain 1-0 on Sunday night, or at least they did until Flick threw Fullkrug into the mix.
Die Mannschaft had gone behind to an Alvaro Morata strike midway through the second half, the Atletico Madrid striker meeting Jordi Alba's low cross with an outside of the boot finish that had caught Manuel Neuer by surprise. Hansi Flick's side were struggling to forge chances as the clock ticked towards the 90... well, that was until Luis Enrique bizarrely took Gavi off as La Roja sacrificed control.
Indeed, of the 11 shots Germany mustered, six came once Gavi was replaced by Koke in the 66th minute as the 2014 World Cup winners sensed an opportunity. Of those six shots once Gavi was taken off, three were taken by Fullkrug, more than any other player. When he found himself in front of goal with just Unai Simon to beat just seven minutes from time, the Werder Bremen star could have picked his spot to draw Germany level. Instead, he powered in an effort that would have taken Simon's arm clean off had he made just the slightest touch of the ball.
Cue delirium as Fullkrug rescued a vital point. After their shock 2-1 defeat to Japan, at the very least they needed to avoid defeat to Spain, while Costa Rica's win over the Samurai Blue earlier in the day certainly helped. It leaves everything to play for in Group E as we head towards the final round of group stage games at Qatar 2022.
Germany need to win regardless of results on Sunday, and victory by eight goals secures a last-16 spot in any scenario. Given Spain put seven past Costa Rica last week, it's not entirely out of the question that Germany at the very least match that feat. The issue is whether Flick saves Fullkrug to use in a super-sub role, with his two international goals coming from the bench, or whether the 29-year-old has done enough to warrant selection ahead of Havertz and Muller.
On the international stage, Fullkrug does lack experience, but this can work in his and Germany's favour. His cameo off the bench against Spain was just his third appearance for Germany, yet he has scored twice in those three outings to help reinforce a WhoScored strength of 'finishing'. Crucially for Flick is that Fullkrug offers a different attacking threat to Havertz and Muller. The latter pair look to link up the attack and bring teammates into player, whereas the former adopts a similar style to Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez. He won't be involved much, but when presented with the chance to score, more often than not, he'll take it.
Only Christopher Nkunku (12) has scored more league goals than Fullkrug (10) in the Bundesliga this season, and with nine of his 10 goals scored from inside the 18-yard box, he is scoring a goal every 6.6 touches inside the penalty area. Importantly still is that three of his 10 goals have been headers - only Harry Kane (5) and Martin Terrier (4) have scored more headed goals in Europe's top five leagues this season - and if Germany do look to get the ball in the box, then for the most part, Fullkrug will be there to meet that cross.
Relatively inexperienced in the Bundesliga relative to his age, Fullkrug's time in Qatar so far is proving to be a fairytale for the frontman. There have been a number of surprises at the World Cup so far, notably Saudi Arabia beating Argentina and Japan upsetting Germany, yet for individuals; Fullkrug is perhaps the biggest. His club form means the call-up was justified, but had, say, Timo Werner and Lucas Nmecha been fit, would the Werder forward have had a look in? It's hard to say.
And yet Flick admitted that he wanted in-form strikers in Qatar to fill the void left by the absence of Werner and Nmecha, stating: "Niclas has the momentum on his side as well, as well as the way he offers his services to the team." Fullkrug is the top scoring German player in the Bundesliga this season, and with four of his 10 goals coming in six away matches, the striker may have been way down the pecking order, however his inclusion is certainly a deserved one.
In Russia four years ago, Germany endured an embarrassing defence of their 2014 crown, crashing out at the group stages, and Qatar could have seen a repeat of that exit had it not been for Fullkrug's equaliser against Spain on Sunday night. For a player who only made his international debut against Oman earlier this month, few could have foreseen the Werder Bremen star having such an important impact in the infancy of his international career. Smash Costa Rica in the week and Germany have a last-16 spot sewn up, though Spain could always give them a helping hand by beating Japan, and it's their unlikely hero in Fullkrug that has handed Die Mannschaft a fighting chance of progression.
