Dramatic draws

WORLD champion Spain and fellow European heavyweight Germany conceded late equalisers to end up with just a point apiece in their respective 2014 World Cup home qualifiers. Spain were pegged back by a goal four minutes into injury-time by Olivier Giroud as France erased memories of their limp performance in their Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat by the Spanish to force a 1-1 draw in Madrid. It was the first time Spain had been denied victory in 24 qualifying matches, a run that stretches back to 2007. The home side was left to rue a missed penalty by Cesc Fabregas on the stroke of halftime which would have put them 2-0 up. However, if there is much selfrecrimination to be done it will be by the Germans, who somehow let slip a 4-0 lead over Sweden. The resurgent Swedes slotted four goals in the final half hour, Rasmus Elm scoring the dramatic equaliser in the third minute of injury time.