Spain’s Azpilicueta denies match-fixing claims to eliminate Germany

completed a comeback against Spain on Thursday as they proceeded to the knockout stage of Qatar 2022 as the group winners followed by Spain as the runner-ups leaving

with an early elimination from the World Cup.

were also on verge of elimination from the competition as Costa Rica made a second-half comeback against the Germans. However, the Germans won 4-2 in the end as they denied the South Americans from qualifying for the next round.

While the sequences make Spain avoid facing

Brazil

in the quarter-finals, many suggested Spain lost on purpose to see the Germans eliminated, suggestions that the Chelsea captain rules out.

Cesar Azpilicueta

told his post-match interview:

“I was aware in the second half [of the Germany score]; I was on the bench so I was aware of the situation. If they look at our group the last couple of years we always give everything and we go out of the pitch to win every game, to press every ball. We have been punished from just scoring a goal and then conceding straight away so that’s the way we play.

“We are the first disappointed to not win the game so you can see what happened. It was difficult because it is something that you cannot control, the other game, so the only thing we could do was to try to give confidence and to help our teammates to win our game. We knew that a draw or a win we would qualify. That’s the only thing we could control.”

Spain will next face

Morocco

in the round of 16 of Qatar 2022.

Follow 

 for the