[Up Next: Follow our live coverage of England v. Belgium] The goal, five minutes into second-half added time, and only moments before the final whistle, gives Germany a strong shot of advancing to the round of 16 on a night that began with the team facing elimination. It came on a night when the Germans produced twice as many shots as Sweden, and enjoyed almost three times the possession, but still had to battle back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime, and then, in the final part of the game, play a man down after Jérôme Boateng was sent off with a red card. But Germany found a way to survive, with Kroos’s goal, on a finely orchestrated free-kick play, giving it a vital three points in its four-team group. Germany is now even with Sweden and three points behind Mexico. A victory in its final group game, against winless South Korea, would put it in a very solid position to advance. A draw against Sweden would have kept Germany’s chances to advance alive, but would have made things far more precarious. “We never lost hope that we could turn the tide and win this match,” said Germany Coach Joachim Löw, who six days ago boldly guaranteed his team would reach the knockout rounds. He said the winning goal was “obviously a bit of luck, but it is also a sign of us believing.” The winner was, in fact, a stunner: a free kick on the left side that Kroos rolled a yard ahead to his teammate Marco Reus, who had scored Germany’s opening goal in the 54th minute. Reus stopped the ball and stepped back as Kroos took his full windup and curled a shot that went over two defenders, around goalkeeper Robin Olsen and then inside the right post. The goal, and the victory, completely altered the dynamic at this World Cup for the Germans, who raced to Kroos at the corner flag and smothered him with a mix of joy and relief. A listless loss to Mexico in its opener had left Germany in an uncomfortable position when it took the field at Fisht Stadium: It understood that a defeat against the Swedes, who had won their first game, would guarantee that Germany, the defending champion, would somehow be out of the World Cup after the first round.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section World Cup Never bet against Germany. They've never left it quite that late though. Toni Kroos' 95th-minute winner against Sweden sparked bedlam in Berlin - could it prove to be the moment that revived Germany's hopes of retaining their title? Earlier in the evening, they were on the brink of becoming the third straight defending champions to fall at the group stage of a World Cup. "This was a thriller, full of emotion, a rollercoaster right up until the final whistle," said Germany head coach Joachim Low. "We knew we had to bring on everything we had to turn it round." They still need to beat South Korea and hope Sweden fail to beat Mexico in the final round of Group F games on Wednesday, but Germany have come roaring back in Russia. 'A shot of luck' German fans watching at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin celebrate Toni Kroos' late winner against Sweden As Kroos curled his shot into the top-right corner, the fan park at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin erupted, a mixture of elation and relief. "For the German fans it would have been such an embarrassment if they'd gone out in the groups," said Germany-based football journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt on BBC Radio 5 live. "There are still vulnerabilities at the back, but it gives them an air of invincibility when they can come back to win after playing like that. "It's a watershed moment for Germany; it turns all of the momentum in their favour." Yet in contrast to the delirious celebrations after the final whistle, Low's side were composed throughout, according to the coach. "We didn't lose our nerve, we didn't panic after going a goal down," he said. "We kept a level head and said we needed to make quick passes and tire the Swedes out to open up spaces. "We didn't score a couple of good chances but we never lost hope we could win the match and I think the goal scored in stoppage time had a bit of luck involved but it did show the belief we had in ourselves." The headlines in the German papers acknowledged both that luck and the return of hope. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Germany wins with a shot of luck." Die Welt: "Blood, sweat and tears. And then came Kroos." Suddeutsche Zeitung: "Kroos brings the hope back." Bild: "Kroos, you are magnificent. Free-kick sleight of hand saves our World Cup. Dramatic victory with 10 men in added time." Bild used a pun of Toni Kroos' name and the German word for magnificent to celebrate the national side's dramatic late victory Back from the brink Ola Toivonen's deft lob before the break left Germany facing their first exit from the opening stage of a World Cup since 1938. Yet it would have been a familiar fate for holders in recent years - 2010 champions Spain and 2006 winners Italy both failed to reach the last 16 in the following tournament, while France finished bottom of their group in 2002 after winning in 1998. But where those sides wilted, a resurgent Germany were largely dominant in the second half, looking the more likely side to score even after Jerome Boateng was sent off. "I told them to stay calm at half-time," said Low. "Not to start panicking and trying new things out and playing high balls - to stay calm and that we will have chances to turn it around if we keep playing our game." "You have to give Germany credit because they know how to be champions," said former England defender Matthew Upson on Match of the Day. "Even when they're down and playing near their worst, they're able to get through it and get the result they need." "It was a totally different Germany side in the second half," added former England women's right-back Alex Scott. "They sucked Sweden in and then played it out wide and fizzed in lots of low crosses - that's where Marco Reus' equaliser came from." 'We were very angry with their reaction' Sweden manager Janne Andersson said his side should have had a penalty for a foul on Marcus Berg Sweden manager Janne Andersson reacted to the result with a mixture of disappointment, defiance and anger. His anger was prompted by the exchanges between the Sweden bench and some of their German counterparts following Kroos' goal. "They got into our faces making gestures and that really got me angry - we were all annoyed," he said. "We fought it out for 90 minutes and at the end you should shake hands and leave - so we were very angry with their reaction." His disappointment came from what he called "the heaviest conclusion" to a match of his career and the fact his side were denied a strong penalty shout when Marcus Berg appeared to be caught by Boateng. "It looked like a clear penalty - so if we have the system - it's odd he doesn't need to go and have a look," he said. Yet he ended on a note of defiance. "The whole group is still alive so we'll have to lick our wounds and come back for the next match," he added. "We still have an excellent opportunity to qualify and we're going to do everything to do that." How the German side reacted<doc-sep>The ten men of Germany flirted with disaster before Toni Kroos scored a stunning free-kick to keep the holders alive in Group F<doc-sep>
Janne Andersson lashed out at the Germany coaching staff after seeing his Sweden team beaten by a sensational 95th-minute Toni Kroos winner, accusing them of gracelessness in victory and “rubbing it into our faces”. There were angry scenes at the full-time whistle after Germany’s 2-1 win, which resurrected their World Cup hopes. Both benches clashed with Andersson getting into a heated argument with Oliver Bierhoff, who is a member of Joachim Löw’s backroom team. Sweden had led at half-time through Ola Toivonen only for Marco Reus to equalise before Kroos’s last-gasp winner from a free-kick routine. They were heartbroken but know that a victory over Mexico in their final Group F tie will still see them qualify for the last 16. “Some of the group leaders of their team celebrated by running in our direction, rubbing it into our faces by making gestures,” Anderson said. “That really got me annoyed and angry. We had fought it out for 90 minutes and at the end you should shake hands. So I was very angry with that. “People behaved in ways that you do not do,” the Sweden manager added. “You should leave your opponents to feel sad. You do not act in the way they did. We reacted very strongly.” Sweden had been stunned when Jérôme Boateng’s clear last-man push on Marcus Berg did not result in the award of a 12th-minute penalty. Boateng would be sent off for a second bookable offence on 85 minutes – a reckless tackle on Berg. “I have not watched it but the people on my team who have say this is a clear penalty,” Andersson said. “If you have this VAR system, it is unfortunate that the referee feels so secure in the situation not to have a look. There are so many feelings around right now, but it is the most disappointing end to a game I have ever felt.” Kroos, who was at fault for Toivonen’s goal, suggested that he and his team-mates had been motivated by the impression they had that some Germany fans wanted them to lose and go out. The reaction to the team’s opening defeat against Mexico had been extreme. “Of course the first goal is down to me – no question,” Kroos said. “But you’ve then got to have the balls to play like that in the second half. If you play 400 passes in a game, sometimes two will fail. “The way we’ve fought until the end – we deserved to win. One had the feeling that some people in Germany would have been happy today if we were eliminated. But we’re not making it that easy for them.” Löw, the Germany manager, reported that centre-back Mats Hummels should be back to fitness for the final group game against South Korea after a neck injury. “I appreciated that we didn’t lose our nerves, we didn’t break out in panic after conceding,” Low said. “We kept a level head. I appreciated the spirit of the team.”