France, Nov. 27 -- Facing the prospect of an early exit from the World Cup for the second consecutive tournament, Germany boss Hansi Flickasserted his players would show their worth against Spain on Sunday night.

The first round showdown was one of the ties that brought gasps of anticipation at the draw ceremony for the World Cup on 1 April.

At the time, it was expected the match would determine the winners of Group E.

But following their opening round defeat to Japan, the gamecould lead to Germany's demise.

When Germanywas eliminated following the group stages in Russia in 2018, it was the first time that the national squad had failed to reach the second phase since 1938.

That catastrophe was followed by defeat in the last-16 at the...