"Of course, the win was a bit lucky with the goal in added time when we were a man down. But it was also deserved because we always believed in ourselves and we demonstrated our morale is very, very good," said the relieved Germany coach Joachim Löw.
"We deserved the win with the way we fought," said Toni Kroos after the final whistle. "I hold my hands up. The first goal was definitely down to me. But you have to have the guts to fight back like we did in the second half." Thomas Müller declared: "We gave our all and were rewarded for it in the end. Obviously, it wasn't perfect but we knew we had to stick at it right to the end."
Germany started well, built up pressure and created some good chances in the opening stages. As the game went on, Sweden increasingly pressed forward and benefited from mistakes made by the German defence. Ola Toivonen's opener on 32 minutes came from a misplaced pass from Toni Kroos in midfield. Germany were lucky Sweden did not increase their lead before the break with chances missed by Viktor Claesson and Marcus Berg.
Brandt unlucky again
Germany made a perfect start to the second half: Timo Werner provided the assist for Marco Reus to level on 47 minutes. Germany upped the pressure and carved out more goalscoring opportunities but then had to play with ten men after Jerome Boateng was sent off on 82 minutes for a second bookable offence. Julian Brandt came on with five minutes to go - and the Bayer 04 pro almost found the back of the net two minutes into added time. Brandt hit the left-hand post with a powerful shot from 17 yards out. An impressive effort - the 22-year-old made his mark after coming on as he did in the Mexico game. When Werner won a free kick just on the left side of the penalty area in the fifth minute of additional time, Kroos stepped up to curl the ball into the top corner of the Swedish net to secure a last-minute win that keeps Germany in the World Cup.
The situation ahead of the final group match on Wednesday remains very tense. Germany could still go out even if they defeat South Korea. If Sweden beat Mexico it will come down to goal difference as Mexico, Sweden and Germany would all have six points. Mexico won 2-1 against South Korea on Saturday afternoon. Two former Bayer 04 players were on the score sheet. Chicharito made it 2-0 for Mexico before Heung-Min Son pulled a goal back for South Korea in added time. Germany face South Korea in Kazan on Wednesday (16.00 CET). A wining margin of at least two goals would see Germany progress to the last sixteen.
Jedvaj through to last sixteen with Croatia
Tin Jedvaj booked his place in the Round of 16 with Croatia on Thursday. Croatia secured a surprisingly clear 3-0 win against two-time World Cup winners Argentina. As in the first game, Jedvaj remained on the bench. The Werkself pro could be in with a chance of starting in Tuesday's final group match against Iceland (20.00 CET) as the coach Zlatko Dalic has said he will rest a number of his players.
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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