The Spanish fans are enjoying themselves pre match... will they still be singing afterwards?

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Al Bayt Stadium

Make no mistake about it, Costa Rica did Germany a huge favour with that win against Japan. It means Hansi Flick's side still have a chance of survival even they lose to Spain. This option would have been removed had Japan got a point.

Germany have been presented with a chance they maybe thought they would not get. Can they take it?

You can also watch BBC One on this very page, by pressing the play button at the top.

BBC Analysis editor Ros Atkins looks at how Qatar won the World Cup, as well as the human rights and environmental issues surrounding the tournament...

Iran's football federation has complained to Fifa after the Islamic Republic emblem was removed from its flag in social media posts by the United States team.

Before their World Cup meeting on Tuesday, the US removed the Allah symbol in graphics posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The US said they decided not to use Iran's official flag to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights", amid mass anti-government protests in the country.

The protests in Iran, met with a fierce crackdown, have been sparked by the death in custody in September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly breaking the strict rules around head coverings.

"In an unprofessional act, the Instagram page of the US football federation removed the Allah symbol from the Iranian flag," said Iran state news agency IRNA.

"The Iran Football Federation sent an email to Fifa [football's world governing body] to demand it issue a serious warning to the US federation."

A US Soccer spokesman later said the posts had been removed and replaced with ones using the correct Iran flag, but added: "We still support the women of Iran."

Image source, Getty Images

According to Gary Neville, speaking on ITV in the build-up to Spain's opener with Costa Rica, Luis Enrique's side is good but just doesn't have goals in it.

It is, of course, easy to be a bit mocking in hindsight, but it is worth posing the question as to whether the seven they bagged in the opener puts what was a common perception about them to bed?

Alvaro Morata is the only true number nine selected in the squad, and as anyone who has watched European football over the last decade, he is a forward constantly, frustratingly on the cusp of being brilliant.

Success has been achieved with false nines and diminutive wizards all over the shop before, though. By Spain. If they start banging them past Neuer, the whole world will sit up, take notice and then realise their own country's chances just took a nosedive.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

I was talking to a German fan called Walter pre match and he remains pretty confident his side will qualify.

"We will lose tonight but we have to beat Costa Rica don't we?.

"If we get knocked out again in the group stage, I don't think Flick can continue as manager. It would be a disaster.

"It feels we are nowhere near teams like Brazil and France and that is very sad for us as Germany fans. The noise if we knocked out will be huge, it will be very uncomfortable for a lot of our players."

Image source, Getty Images

Following somewhat the template set by Spain in their golden period, Germany have looked to model their national tam around the core players and philosophy of their top club side.

Hansi Flick led Bayern Munich to a ‘sextuple’ in 2020, utlising a high defensive line, intensive pressing and quickfire passing combinations. He has sought to try and implement the same style on the international stage, but has yet to attain similar success.

They're certainly not short of talent. Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich are fine central midfielders and Antonio Rudiger is no mug at the back. Further forward, Bayern's Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane have been in good form and Jamal Musiala is a rare talent.

What they don't have, though, is a world class centre-forward. Timo Werner was slated to try but an injury has meant the baton passing to Kai Havertz. As any Chelsea fan will tell you, Havertz is... well... frustrating.

It was the inability to inflict the killer blow to Japan that left them vulnerable to the mother of all stings in their opener.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

Plenty of Spain flags around - and they seem pretty confident for tonight.

When asked who will win the World Cup though - these Spanish fans are plumping for France!

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Everybody expects a Spanish inquisition tonight!

Spain may no longer be the team everyone fears on the global stage, having seen their golden generation of 2008-2012 age and depart, but they remain a formidable foe.

It also feels like they could be right on the cusp of something special again, with a group of young players from a familiar source bringing boundless confidence and enthusiasm.

Barca pair Gavi and Pedri are the standout teenage stars. Around them are established talent - Cesar Azpilicueta, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Sergio Busquets - along with some players in which coach Luis Enrique has placed his faith - Marco Asensio being the main one.

Germany know they are in for a tough and relentless examination this evening.

Jaspreet, Enniskillen: Spain looked incredibly strong. But Germany have the strength and depth of team to bounce back tonight and pull off a win

Image source, BBC Sport

Spain boss Luis Enrique makes one change to the side that thrashed Costa Rica 7-0 in their opening World Cup match. Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta makes way for Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal at right-back.

Spain XI: Simon, Carvajal, Rodri, Laporte, Jordi Alba, Gavi, Busquets, Gonzalez, Ferran Torres, Asensio, Olmo.

Subs: Sanchez, Azpilicueta, Garcia, Pau Torres, Llorente, Morata, Koke, Williams, Raya, Balde, Guillamon, Pino, Carlos Soler, Sarabia, Fati.

Image source, BBC Sport

Germany boss Hansi Flick makes two changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Japan in their World Cup opener.

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck and Chelsea forward Kai Havertz both drop out of the starting XI as West Ham's Thilo Kehrer and Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka start.

Germany XI: Neuer, Sule, Rudiger, Kehrer, Raum, Kimmich, Gundogan, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Musiala

Subs: Ginter, Havertz, Fullkrug, Gotze, Trapp, Klostermann, Brandt, Hofmann, Sane, Gunter, Ter Stegen, Schlotterbeck, Adeyemi, Kotchap, Moukoko.

Let's be very clear here, though, getting beat tonight would be bad for Germany. Very bad.

Let's see what they're up against...

Ah.

Sheesh.

Good luck, Germany!

I fully expected to be rocking up today to talk about a must-win game for Germany, a do-or-die World Cup encounter with a Spanish side fresh from putting seven past Costa Rica.

For rubberneckers everywhere, Japan's defeat by Costa Rica earlier today has taken that off the table.

Germany are down but not yet out and a loss tonight - while leaving them dangling by the thinnest of threads - will not confirm their exit.

In fact, for those of you out there who love the mad shenanigans that the final round of group games can bring when it's tight (basically anyone who's a proper football fan!) a Germany win tonight sets up a couple of humdinger concluding games.

A former BBC Sport football desk colleague, who is cooler than me, suggested this morning such a prospect would be "lit". I concur.