<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage for the second time in succession despite a 4-2 win against Costa Rica on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The four-time World Cup winners came into the match needing a win but were also relying on the result of Japan's game with Spain to progress.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the Germans were eliminated from Group E due to goal difference as Japan followed up their defeat of Germany with another shock result by beating Spain 2-1.</div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"It is unbelievably bitter for us because our result would have been enough," forward Thomas Mueller said. "It's a feeling of powerlessness."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Germany took an early lead but briefly fell behind in the second half as coach Hansi Flick made a flurry of changes, reacting to the live score of the Japan v Spain fixture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Germans started positively, with Flick's all-Bayern Munich front line turning the screws early, battering the Costa Rica defence before Serge Gnabry got his head to a curling cross from Leipzig defender David Raum after 10 minutes to open the scoring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Midfielder Leon Goretzka almost doubled Germany's lead just five minutes later but his header was directly at Keylor Navas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Complacency began to creep into Germany's game. Keysher Fuller, Costa Rica's goal-scoring hero in a 1-0 win against Japan, forced Manuel Neuer into a fingertip save after some half-hearted defending from Raum and Antonio Ruediger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flick moved Kimmich back to his familiar defensive midfield position at half-time, bringing on Lukas Klostermann at the expense of Goretzka, who like Kimmich started the match on a yellow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just seven minutes into the second half, word crept around the Al Bayt Stadium that Japan had scored two quick goals to take the lead against Spain, a result which would force Germany out of the tournament.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flick reacted immediately, bringing on Niclas Fuellkrug and taking off another midfielder in Ilkay Gundogan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Germany appeared disjointed as Costa Rica went on the counter on the 58-minute mark, the ball rebounding off Neuer and into the path of Yeltsin Tejeda, who slammed it home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flick continued to chase the game, making more changes but it was Costa Rica who scored next when Juan Pablo Vargas tapped a free kick past Neuer to put his side past Spain and into the Round of 16. The goal was later recorded as an own goal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Germany hit back minutes later through Chelsea forward Kai Havertz to draw level.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Havertz scored again in the 86th minute and Fuellkrug added another in the 89th minute to bring the score to 4-2, but the side's focus remained nervously fixed on the group's parallel fixture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The night ended with Germany losing out to second-placed Spain as Japan unexpectedly won the group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It means Germany, who had not missed out on the knockout stages of a World Cup for 80 years until the 2018 tournament in Russia, have now been bundled out in the group stage for the second World Cup in a row. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>