The champions are back, and HOW! Do join us for live updates tomorrow.
FULL-TIME: GERMANY 2-1 SWEDEN
What a win from the Germans. Simply outstanding from Kroos. Germans deserved it on the balance of the game, flooding the forward line in droves and creating a number of chances.
There is still work to do for the Germans, especially at the back. Boateng had a poor game and will miss the last group match. It’s okay for Sweden to feel hard done by. Germans did what Germans have done over so many decades. There is no way one can write them off.
THAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY! What a free-kick. That too with his nation’s hopes of reaching the next round hanging by a thread. It was a lay-up shot and Kroos curled it into the far post, no chance for Olsen.
90+5’ GOAL (TONI KROOS) GERMANY 2-1 SWEDEN
90+4’ Germany get a free-kick at the edge of the area on the left wing. This is potentially their last chance.
90+1’ OFF THE POST! What a strike from Brandt. The ball bounced in front of him at the edge of the area and the winger, with his left, struck a cracker that thundered off the post. Olsen was beaten.
90’ The Germans, even with 10 men continue to flood forward. The Swedes are just hanging on by a thread.
88’ Berg comes off and in comes Thelin for Sweden. Germany have a corner on the left flank.
87’ WHAT A SAVE! Mario Gomez did everything right to meet that header from Kroos’s cross. The bullet header was tipped over the bar, Buffon 2006 style by Olson.
Hector goes off, in comes Julian Brandt.
82’ CLOSE – this time, Guidetti comes close for Sweden with a close-range shot off a free-kick. Neuer was once again terrific in front of goal and palmed it behind for a corner. It was an old fashioned goalmouth scramble that gave the Swedes a sniff.
The Swedes protested vehemently and the referee checked with his assistants and the marching orders were rightly given to the World Cup winning centre-back.
81’ RED CARD (Boateng receives his second yellow card)
79’ Oooooh! There it is. Werner, in space, gets to the end of a right-wing cross and his side-foot shot goes just inches over the bar. That was also very, very close.
78’ Germany have taken their foot off the pedal slightly over the last few minutes, but don’t expect them to calm down anytime soon.
Ola Toivonen goes off to a thunderous ovation. John Guidetti comes in.
74’ OOH! First time Sweden have come anywhere close to threatening Neuer in the second half. Off a corner, Forsberg shoots one with his left from distance and the Germany goalkeeper pouches it.
73’ Sweden replace Cleaesson with Durmas.
71’ Germans win a corner from 35 yards out. Just moments ago, the Germans had created an opportunity down the left flank, and once again it was Werner pulling the strings. The forward has been excellent in this half.
70’ Boateng gets a YELLOW CARD for a tactical foul on Forsberg.
69’ Sweden have a brief spell on the ball after Kroos errs with a back-pass. Toivonen crosses from the left but nothing comes off it.
67’ More of the same from the Germans. Offside called and Gomez will be relieved to know that the whistle was blown. He missed a sitter from a couple of yards out from a right-wing cross.
65’ Scramble, block, clear, tackle – that is Sweden’s mantra right now. They are living on the edge as Germany are simply toying with their midfield.
64’ It’s him again. Kroos this time shoots one from 25 yards out and the ball goes slightly over the bar. Germany have a corner.
62’ It’s all one-way traffic at the moment and Sweden need a bit of inspiration or luck, whatever works. Kroos, who was largely anonymous in the first half, is dictating play in the second.
60’ HOW CLOSE WAS THAT? In another sweeping move from the Germans, Kimmich from the right delivers a dream low cross but Reus, trying to back-flick the ball into the net, misses. That was perilously close.
58’ Sweden continue to show a lot of bite when they counter. They are seeing a little more of the ball compared to the first half, which was almost negligible.
55’ SHOT – Hector. This is lovely stuff from Germany. They have simplified their attacks compared to the first half. Yet again, it comes from the left wing from Werner. Hector delayed for a second but still took a shot, Olsen saved it easily.
53’ The attacks continue. Kroos tries to release Werner with a through ball but the offside flag is raised.
51’ Ekdal goes into the book for a cynical challenge from a Germany counter. Germany are feeling it and look like doing something whenever they are on the ball i.e 75 percent of the time.
49’ And game on it is! Reus and Muller come close in the space of minutes. Reus’s shot took a deflection and went just wide. The Germans then got a free-kick, Kroos took it and Muller at the near post shot it just wide.
There is the tonic the Germans needed! The move was started with a pin-point pass from Kroos from midfield. Werner received it and drilled a low ball into the box. Gomez couldn’t get his foot on it but Reus bundles it over with his knee. Game on!
47’ GOAL!! GERMANY 1-1 SWEDEN (Marco Reus)
46’ Not surprisingly, Germans have started on the front foot and once again, they are flooding the left flank.
The second half is underway
Mario Gomez is ready to come on for Germany. He replaces Julian Draxler.
Half-time reactions coming up
Half-time: Germany’s problems from the Mexico game have continued. On atleast five occasions, they were caught out at the back. Sweden were under all kinds of pressure in the first 25 minutes. After they got a foothold in the game, they have been lethal on the counter. Germany, for all their possession, have not created a clear-cut chance of note. This, despite raiding the Sweden area at will.
45 +1’ WHAT A SAVE FROM NEUER! Fizzing cross by Larsson from the right and Berg gets behind the German defence and sends one goalwards. That was going to the far post. The German No 1 dived full stretch to parry the ball away. That was the last bit of action from the first half.
44’ Ohh! Germans were cut open at the back once again and it was a 3 vs 2 favouring the Swedish attackers at the back. Alas, Toivonen’s first touch let him down here. It was a brilliant opportunity to go 2-0 up for the men in blue and yellow.
42’ Germany continue to have the ball. The Swedish fans are dancing in the isles.
39’ CHANCE! Another goalmouth scramble in the Swedish box. Muller almost got the ball past Olsen but the goalkeeper was alert to see out the danger with a point-blank save. Muller wants a penalty.
37’ Larrson once again willingly helping his defence out. Germans tried to counter Swedes at speed but Olsen kicks the ball out of play.
35’ Under pressure, Germans continue to attack in droves but once again, there is no quality end product with Kimmich delivering a wasteful cross.
UNBELIEVABLE! That came out of nowhere. It looked like a routine move after Toni Kroos lost possession in his half. Toivonen got to the end of a cross and lobbed it. The ball clipped Rudiger’s boot and looped over Neuer and into the net.
33’ GOAL!! GERMANY 0-1 SWEDEN (Ola Toivonen)
Germany have made a substitution: Ilkay Gundogan comes in place of Rudy, who is frustrated at the way his World Cup debut panned out.
30’ Germany bring out the ball from the back with great fluidity again. Kroos slips it to Muller, who passes it to Draxler. The attack comes to nothing.
28’ Sweden get a corner as Toivonen was preying in at the far post. Germany are still a man light.
Here’s a clip of what the world’s talking about:
24’ Rudy is getting some treatment and is stepping off the field momentarily. He is bleeding from his nose. Let’s hope he can get back soon. Germany are currently playing with 10 men.
22’ Once again, Germany looked nervy and a little out of sorts at the back. The ball, meanwhile, reached the other end of the field quickly and Germans have a corner.
20’ The Berg penalty shout is still getting a lot of angry reactions on social media. Meanwhile, Ekdal does a fabulous job to shield Thomas Muller, who was preying into the box.
18’ Another patient build-up by the Germans. The ball falls to Rudy 25 yards out from goal, he thumps it and the ball harmlessly goes out of play.
16’ SHOT! Superbly blocked by Boateng in the box. Two passes and the ball arrived in the area for Berg, who volleyed it first time.
14’ Sweden have a brief spell in the area in the German half. Werner wins it back and runs forward with it. The lopsided possession battle continues.
12’ CLOSE! Point-blank save from Neuer. Berg waltzed through the heart of the German defence. Rudiger went to sleep and the striker and Sweden are incensed that they didn’t get a penalty. Replays shows that Berg was tripped and pushed by Boateng. Once again, Germany are looking open on the counter.
11’ Kimmich bombs down the right flank in search of a German shirt. Once again, Sweden just about survive with a last-ditch clearance.
9’ Sweden surviving by the lick of paint so far. Once again, Reus gets behind the defence and makes a cut-back into the area. Granqvist clears it in the nick of time. There were three German players waiting for a tap in.
7’ CLOSE! Once again, the Swedish defence is cut open easily from the German attackers, who are looking lively already. Draxler enters the area and sidefoots it but it lacked direction or power. Everything going through the left flank for the defending champions so far.
6’ Sweden attack for the first time. Forsberg runs at the heart of the German defence and protests with the referee for not blowing his whistle. He thought his shirt was pulled during the build-up by Muller.
4’ It was Draxler and Hector who had shots on target. Larsson blocked the shot on the goalline. Swedes under immense amount of pressure, and are not doing enough to close down attacks.
2’ SAVE – Goal-line clearance from the Swedes as the Germans prey in the opposition area. What a start to the game.
1’ We have the first attack from Germany. Muller attempts a cross from the left-flank and the ball goes out of play. It was a patient build-up down the left.
Here we go..
The teams make their way onto the pitch..Lindelof is back to the Swedish line-up. He didn’t start in the first game due to an illness.
June 23 has been a lucky date for both teams. Germany won two of their fixtures while Sweden have one win.
Mexico beating South Korea has put heaps of pressure on Germany. A defeat tonight and they are out.
The last time these two teams faced, it ended 5-3 in favour of the Germans. Can we expect more of the same please? This was back in 2014.
On five different occasions before the Germany vs Mexico encounter, the defending champions lost in their opening game.
World Cup history: Swedes and the Germans have met in the World Cup four times. Germans have won four of those matches – in 1934, 1974 and in 2006. Sweden won in the 1958 World Cup semi-finals, a tournament where they were the hosts.
The two teams have faced each other 37 times: Swedes have won 12 and the Germans 15. Nine games ended in a draw.
Team news: Wholesale changes made by Joachim Low ahead of this key clash. The backlash from the media back home might have led to the changes. Ozil and Khedira had poor games and rightfully take their place on the bench. After waiting for what feels like an eternity, Reus will be making his first start for Germany in a World Cup. Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof starts for the Swedes after missing out in the first game.
Sweden: Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Larsson, Ekdal, Claesson, Forsberg, Toivonen, Berg
Ozil and Khedira have been left out of the starting XI. There are four changes from Germany’s loss against Mexico.
10:14 pm: Selection and tactical dilemma derail Germany’s opening move against Mexico, writes Arka B
Hello and welcome to the live updates of the Group F match between defending champions Germany and Sweden. The four-time champions could face a humiliating first-round exit from the World Cup in Russia unless they rediscover the form that propelled them to glory in Brazil in 2014.
Joachim Low’s side slumped to a tame 0-1 defeat against Mexico in their opening match, paying the price for a calamitous first half in a performance that drew stinging criticism.
Lothar Mattheus, the 1990 World Cup-winning captain, said he had not seen a Germany team “so weak at a big tournament for a long time” following the loss in Moscow. The holders will likely be without defensive pillar Mats Hummels due to a neck injury, while striker Marco Reus could be handed a start after a bright 30-minute cameo off the bench against Mexico.
Germany will also expect more from Thomas Muller, who had a quiet outing against the
Mexicans. It will be interesting to see if Low plays gangly striker Mario Gomez in place of Timo Werner, who was substituted in the second half.
Sweden had one their opening game, beating a below-par South Korean side 1-0. Andreas Granquist’s penalty was enough to see off the Asian outfit.
(With inputs from AFP)