Spain will not take Japan lightly and will play to win despite leading World Cup Group E following their 1-1 draw against Germany on Sunday, coach Luis Enrique said.
"There was a strange feeling in the changing room because we had the opportunity to beat Germany and we let it slip through our hands and that was a shame," Luis Enrique told a news conference.
"A draw against Japan on Thursday would probably send us through to knock-outs but we will not speculate. We will use our full strength and go for the win to secure the top in the group standings." They top the Group E standings with four points and now need only a draw in their final game against Japan to progress. A win would send them through to the knockout round in first place.
"Germany should not think about our game, they should focus on Costa Rica first because we are in the World Cup and every rival has their own quality," Luis Enrique said.
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