"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 simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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