The clash against the German national team in the preliminary round of the soccer World Cup in Qatar caused a sensation in Spain.

"The monster was drawn to Spain," headlined the specialist newspaper "AS" in the online edition on Friday after the draw, alluding to the team of national coach Hansi Flick.

The rival newspaper "Marca" spoke of a "fearful opponent", "whom the top seeded of the eight preliminary round groups probably all wanted to avoid".

The news agency Europa Press pointed out that Germany was a "battered giant" after the preliminary round at the 2018 World Cup and other setbacks in the recent past.

But the DFB team is four times world champion and that's not the only reason "always a title candidate at every tournament".

Germany and Spain meet in the second group game on November 27 (20:00 CET).

Also in the group are Japan and play-off winners Costa Rica against New Zealand.

The world governing body FIFA published the exact match schedule during the night.

Like other Spanish media, Europa Press also recalled that coach Luis Enrique's "Selección" won the last match against Germany on November 17, 2020 in Seville 6-0.

And that "La Roja" did not lose the last two World Cup games against the former feared opponent either: In the semi-finals in 2010, the eventual world champion won 1-0 in South Africa, in 1994 in the USA there was a 1-1 draw in the preliminary round.

"That was awesome"

"Spain respects Germany, but we haven't been afraid of the Germans for a long time," said the respected AS journalist Javier Matallanas.

Dani Garrido, the moderator of the widely watched TV football show “Carrusel”, took the same line: “Spain is definitely a bit better than Germany at the moment.”

With all due respect, the fans are also apparently optimistic: in an online survey conducted by the specialist newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", almost 55 percent predicted that their own team would take first place in Group E of the preliminary round.

Almost 40 percent expect that the Spaniards will qualify as group runners-up for the round of 16.

On the gala stage on Friday in Doha, Hansi Flick met Luis Enrique for a short World Cup chat.

Next to his Spanish colleague, the national coach posed for a photo together and then commented on the lot with anticipation.

"That was awesome," said Flick.

Flick noted the opponents in the group draw on Friday in his wide white armchair in the fifth row of the conference center in the World Cup capital Doha.

Spain is "of course a top favorite for the title too," said Flick and announced with a grin a conversation with record national player Lothar Matthäus, who had drawn the Germany ball in Group E: "I have to talk to Lothar again." Luis Enrique said : “It's a great group.

(...) Germany is a power.

But we are Spain, we are also a power.

All games will be difficult.

But we know Germany very well.”