Substitute Havertz brings Germany to win but Die Mannschaft exit in group stage
You can read the full match report here. Germany didn't qualify for the round of 16 because Spain had the better goal difference. Mostly thanks to their 7-0 win over Costa Rica in the opening match.
Second Half
Final whistle here - that's it at the World Cup for both Germany and Costa Rica!
Japan - Spain is over at 2-1. Germany are OUT at the group stage!
96': Header by Fullkrug just misses!
91': Scratch that - VAR confirms it is a goal by Fullkrug! Germany still out at this point though...
90': Fullkrug scores but the goal is immediately disallowed - offside.
86': Kai Havertz scores another one after a tasty cross by Gnabry! Germany lead, but even that's not enough at this point.
84': Musiala active again, cutting inside to take a shot, but once again fires over the net.
82': Rudiger sweeps away a key pass after a great breakaway by Costa Rica.
76': Big breakaway for Germany but Navas makes a CRUCIAL save against Fullkrug from up close.
73': Havertz scores! Germany are back in the match, but still not closer to qualifying - Japan and Spain are through if things stand.
As things stand - both Spain and Germany are out!
70': GOAL BY COSTA RICA! THEY PUSH IT INTO THE NET AFTER A FREE KICK! WHAT A TURNAROUND BY COSTA RICA!
67': ANOTHER POST HIT BY GERMANY.
66': David Raum and Thomas Muller are off, with Kai Havertz and Mario Gotze coming on.
63': Big chance for Rudiger who hits the post too!
61': Musiala can regain the lead but hits the post! This match...
58': Another shock for Germany! Yeltsin Tejeda gets to a rebound and makes it 1-1!
55': Goalscorer Niclas Fullkrug is on the pitch, replacing Ilkay Gundogan.
Another big hit for Germany - Japan score another one to turn it around!
52': Fuller once again has a chance, but hits Sule.
Drama in the other match - Japan score! As it stands, Germany are out unless they score more goals (or Spain regains the lead).
46': Second half just kicked off with one change for Germany - Lukas Klostermann replaces Leon Goretzka, meaning Kimmich moves to the midfield from right back. Salas replaces Aguilera for Costa Rica.
First Half
It's half time here - Germany pushing and pushing, but just one goal scored so far. That's the goal that makes the difference between them and Japan (losing to Spain) - but if Japan or Costa Rica equalize, Germany might be out of the tournament.
45': Sane cuts inside and takes a shot too, but misses the goal narrowly.
42': Fuller was almost the hero for Costa Rica again! He tried a similar finish like against Japan, but Manuel Neuer makes a great save.
40': Gnabry tries to curl it at the back post and juuust misses.
36': Musiala dances his way to another shot, but misses. If I turn off the game now and just write about a big German chance every few minutes, I don't think I'm going to be wrong by a lot.
34': Yes, another big chance for Germany - Kimmich tried a long ranged shot, Navas had to tame it.
30': Another chance by Gnabry, but his shot is blocked by a forrest of defending bodies.
26': Costa Rica defending well after another chance by Germany, who are playing a lot through David Raum on the left
20': Gnabry making trouble in the Costa Rica box again, but it's defended well.
14': Germany take to the air again! Goretzka's header is juuust kept out by Navas!
The favorites are scoring early tonight - Spain take the lead in the other match against Japan through Alvaro Morata. Three goals in three for the Atleti striker!
10': This header goes in though! Serge Gnabry scores after a cross by Raum.
9': What a ball for Muller! He has a free header after Kimmich's cross but misses the net. Huge chance!
5': Big chance missed by Gnabry, and he's offside. But another early scare for Costa Rica.
2': Didn't take long for Germany's first chance! Youngster Jamal Musiala takes a shot that's parried by Navas.
The teams are out for the national anthems at the first game in world cup history officiated by a trio of female referees. Will top french ref Stephanie Frappart oversee an upset, or will Germany not walk in Belgium's path out of the tournament? We shall see.
Team News
Costa Rica: Keylor Navas, Juan Pablo Vargas, Keysher Fuller, Oscar Duarte, Bryan Oviedo, Kendall Waston, Celso Borges, Yeltsin Tejeda, Brandon Aguilera, Johan Venegas, Joel Campbell
Germany: Manuel Neuer, David Raum, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry.
Introduction
A surprise 1-0 victory over Japan saw Costa Rica blow World Cup Group E wide open and left coach Luis Fernando Suárez insisting his side can still “dream”. That result leaves Los Ticos' qualification task appearing relatively straightforward, needing just a victory in their final group game to assure progression, though the sight of four-time World Cup winners Germany standing in their way might muddy the waters.A draw could well be enough to qualify, but thanks to a 7-0 hammering by Spain in their opening group game leaving their goal difference in tatters, they would need the Spanish to beat Japan too. They’ll need to be wary of a repeat of these two sides’ only prior meeting in the 2006 World Cup curtain raiser, which Costa Rica lost 4-2, as it would completely end their hopes of securing only a third-ever progression beyond the World Cup group stages.Follow the game live on Flashscore