Joachim Löw had been asked about the curse of world champions past. Three of the previous four World Cup winners had exited at the group phase – France (2002), Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and the Germany manager knew that his team stood to be the next. It added yet another layer to his country’s angst, after the debacle that was the defeat against Mexico in the opening Group F tie.
This was pretty much win or bust for Germany, a team groping with unfamiliar uncertainties, and they threw everything they had at Sweden during a wild night by the Black Sea in what was arguably the game of the tournament.
The game looked up for Löw and his players when Jérôme Boateng leapt into a reckless tackle on Marcus Berg as the clock ticked down to incur a second yellow card. It was one of many glaring examples of Germany’s indiscipline at the back.
But the 10 men refused to wilt and, after the substitute Julian Brandt had rattled the post from distance, Toni Kroos summoned a stunning late twist when he bend a free-kick that had been touched back to him by Marco Reus into the far corner. Sweden were broken at the end. They had led through Ola Toivonen and called the tune in the first-half. But the second-half belonged to Germany and they squeezed home in the most dramatic of style.
The pressure was on Germany and it was ratcheted up a couple of extra notches when Mexico defeated South Korea earlier in the day. Another defeat was unthinkable and, at kick‑off time, the prospect of a draw did not feel much better.
With his back pressed to the wall and after days of savage criticism, Löw made four changes – two of them particularly eye-catching. Out went Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil, in came the defensive-minded midfielder Sebastian Rudy and Marco Reus. Rudy would be forced off on the half-hour after he was caught in the face by a trailing boot from Toivonen.
Germany had stepped on to the front foot at the outset, squeezing up the field, with their full-backs pinned high. They took an early grip on possession, with one statistic showing they made 122 passes in the opening 10 minutes to Sweden’s six.
The worry for Löw was how threatening Sweden came to look on the counterattack and how easily they carved apart his team. It was extraordinary to see a German defence in such open and obliging mood. It was no exaggeration to say the game could have been over at the interval.
First, there was controversy when Marcus Berg ran clean through and, if he appeared to take a heavy touch, he still reached the ball before the advancing Manuel Neuer. Boateng gave chase and, as Berg shaped to shoot inside the area, the defender shoved him in the back. Boateng also looked to trip him. The referee, Szymon Marciniak, ruled it was no penalty, which was a baffling decision, and nor was there any intervention from the video assistants. Don’t mention the VAR. Sweden could feel aggrieved.Janne Andersson’s team took the lead after Kroos gave the ball away to Berg and, when he worked it wide, Viktor Claesson crossed for Toivonen. The striker took an excellent first touch on his chest and the second was even better – a glorious lob that gave Neuer no chance.
Swedish belief soared; the Germans looked fraught. Emil Forsberg, who had earlier streaked through only to be crowded out, looked up and could see two yellow shirts in glorious positions. Where were the defenders? He picked out Claesson but he decided against the first‑time shot, which was a bad move. Jonas Hector got across to tackle.
There was also the moment in first‑half injury time when Berg’s glancing header from Sebastian Larsson’s free-kick was bound for the far corner. Neuer saved.
Germany had gone close in the early running when Julian Draxler and Hector had close-range shots blocked but, apart from a deflected effort from Rudy’s replacement, İlkay Gündoğan, which extended Robin Olsen – Thomas Müller could not force home the rebound – Germany offered little.
The question was whether Sweden would live to regret their failure to punish Germany in the first-half and they felt the sucker-punch at the beginning of the second.
Löw had tweaked again, sending on the big No 9, Mario Gomez, and demanding greater intensity from his players. Müller would push up as a second striker.
The difference between how they finished the first period and began the second was marked. Timo Werner, who was moved to the left, set up the equaliser with a low cross and, after Müller could not make contract, Reus bundled home in slightly untidy fashion in front of Ludwig Augustinsson.
It was breathless stuff and it was all Germany. They laid siege to the Swedish goal, with their attacking intent reflected by Hector’s sorties into an inside-forward position on the left.
Sweden have proved themselves a tough nut to crack. When Reus scored, it was the first time Olsen had conceded in 548 minutes. The previous player to beat him was Holland’s Arjen Robben in October of last year. They were not going to give up what stood to be a famous point without an almighty fight.
Germany pushed. Reus could not flick home with his trailing leg from Joshua Kimmich’s lovely cross; Werner lifted high and, after Andreas Granqvist had extended Neuer at the other end, Germany’s 10 men almost snatched it when Olsen tipped over from Gomez. The sting in the tale was still to come.