"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.
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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