It was a second group game that came off feeling like some gasping semifinal or some death scrap in a prairie. It was an event that gave its 44,287 witnesses an experience nobody ever has, that of seeing Germany — Germany, that staple of reliability! — running around all night on a precipice, when the whole idea of Germany is often about the avoidance of precipice. It was a night spent with a defending World Cup champion that hasn’t fallen short of a semifinal this century looking like it might be eliminated after two first-round losses — as it would have if Sweden’s 1-0 halftime lead had held — or if it might drift near the early-exit door, as it would have with a draw on Saturday.<doc-sep>There were just 18 seconds between Germany’s fate at this World Cup being taken out of their hands and Toni Kroos scoring from a dramatic free-kick to complete an extraordinary comeback and turn the group on its head. Just 18 seconds between Germany facing the very real prospect of exiting a World Cup at the first hurdle for the first time in 80 years and dealing the cruelest of blows to an impressive Sweden side who were left to nurse a sense of injustice on a spellbinding night in Sochi. Just 18 seconds between Joachim Low fearing the curse of recent world champions might soon extend to his side and the German bench sparking fury among their Swedish counterparts by celebrating wildly on the touchline. As if defeat was not bad enough for Janne Andersson, the Sweden coach, the sight of Low’s staff milking the moment was as hard to take as the stonewall penalty his team had been denied in the first half. “Some of the German bench celebrated by running in our direction and rubbing it into our faces by making gestures and that really got me annoyed,” Andersson said. “We fight it out for 95 minutes and then you shake it out and leave so I was very angry about that. This is probably the most crushing end to a game I have experienced in my career.”<doc-sep>Germany beat Sweden 2–1 in the final seconds of stoppage time in its World Cup matchup with an incredible free-kick goal from Toni Kroos. As you can imagine, Germany's fans went nuts in Fisht Stadium. Kroos atoned for an earlier error and became the match's hero when he scored off a designed play with just about 30 seconds to play. It came after a foul just to the left of the Sweden box. Kroos stepped to the ball, tapping it to Marco Reus, who settled it for Kroos to take aim on goal. He fired a tight-angled missile inside the far post to spark celebrations on the German sideline and give the defending champions a 2-1 win. Germany's fans erupted into loud cheers when Kroos saved his team from a draw. Fans were yelling around the stadium and jumping up and down. Many people pulled out their phones to take photos and videos of the incredible moment. Kroos and his teammates were seen huddling on the side of the field, celebrating their last-minute victory. With the win, Germany is on much safer ground to move forward to the knockout stage, as it sits even with Sweden on three points, with both three points behind first-place Mexico. Germany faces South Korea in its final match, while Sweden plays Mexico.<doc-sep>Don't miss a moment of the World Cup! Visit "My Teams" in your Settings and select your favorite team to set up scores and news alerts. The curse of champions nearly caught Germany like it caught Italy and Spain in the past two World Cups, but Germany cauterized the wound before the curse could kill them. On Saturday, facing Sweden and elimination in their second group-stage game, Germany overcame a 1-0 first-half deficit with a pair of second-half goals, the second of which came in the final minute of stoppage time, to best Sweden by a final score of 2-1. Germany needed all 95 minutes to get the result it needed. Now it heads into its final group-stage match against South Korea with an easier path to the knockout stages. On the brink of disaster after an opening-match loss to Mexico, Germany entered its contest against Sweden on Saturday in desperate need of a response. Before kickoff, Mexico beat South Korea to improve its total to six points. Germany wasn't just looking up at Mexico and its six points in the Group F standings, it was also trailing Sweden and its three points. If Sweden won, Germany -- the defending champions -- would fail to advance from its group at the World Cup for the first time ever, which would also mark the third straight World Cup that's seen the reigning champs succumb in the group stage. In a tactical switch after Mexico took advantage of Germany's lack of a defensive midfield, Germany coach Joachim Low dropped star attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil from the starting lineup for the first time since Ozil made his debut for Germany, ending his streak of 26 straight starts in major tournament play. Like Ozil, Sami Khedira was dropped. Marco Reus and Sebastian Rudy gained entrance into the starting XI. Rudy, however, was forced to depart the game in the first half after taking a cleat to the face, which led to a bloody scene. From the beginning, Germany imposed its will on the match. The Germans dominated possession and created strong scoring chances from the get-go with mechanical build-up play, but once again, they proved to be susceptible to the counter attack. In the 13th minute, Marcus Berg broke free for a breakaway with Jerome Boateng trailing behind him. As Berg fired a shot, which was stifled by German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Boateng pushed Berg in the back. Shouts for a penalty kick were ignored and VAR was not called upon. You decide: Sweden got its goal not long after. In the 32nd minute, after a bad giveaway by Germany, Ola Toivonen made a slicing run through the backline and was played in beautifully by Viktor Claesson. Toivonen used a chip to beat a charging Neuer. And like that, Sweden took a 1-0 lead and pushed Germany to the edge of the cliff. Germany responded with chance after chance after chance, but was continually denied at the goal line by key deflections and saves. Frustration mounted. If not for a brilliant save at the far post by Neuer on the final play of the first half, Germany would've faced a 2-0 deficit. If not for that save, Marco Reus' goal in the 48th minute wouldn't have knotted up the score. But Neuer made the save and Reus' goal -- coming off a cross, a deflection, and ultimately, his knee -- tied the game at 1-1. Germany was alive. A tie would give Germany another game to make up Sweden's point advantage. A win, though, would bring them level with Sweden in the group standings. Blood was in the water, and Germany smelled it. Sweden, meanwhile, was reduced to survival mode as Germany pushed numbers forward. But the breakthrough didn't come. Sweden staved off attack after attack after attack, and counter-punched with a couple attacks of their own. The drama intensified in the 82nd minute when Boateng, playing with a yellow card, made a reckless challenge and earned -- in every sense of the word -- a second yellow card. Germany was reduced to 10 men for the final 13 minutes. On the resulting free kick, Sweden nearly took the lead, but Neuer kept Germany alive with a stumbling save. On the other end, in the 88th minute, Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen denied a point-blank header by somehow reacting in time to push the ball over the bar. Sweden survived the German attack, again, but only just barely. Five minutes were added on. Sweden, despite being up a man, was just trying to hold on for dear life. In the 92nd minute, Julian Brandt fired a rocket from the top of the box and beat Olsen, but the post denied him of a game-winning and tournament-changing goal. In the final minute of stoppage time, Germany drew a free kick at the edge of the box. The angle didn't matter to Toni Kroos. He tapped the ball forward to his teammate, who set the ball in place for him. With pitch-perfect precision, Kroos whipped the ball toward the far post. The ball found the back of the net. The breakthrough came. Germany got the goal it needed. After surviving one last-gasp attack by Sweden, Germany claimed victory and three crucial points. What a game, indeed: As a result, Germany is now tied with Sweden in second place in Group F with three points. Both teams trail Mexico by three points. Meanwhile, South Korea with zero points, is still alive. In the final matches of Group F, Mexico will take on Sweden while Germany will face South Korea, with both coming on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET. You can watch those matches and follow the entire World Cup on fuboTV (Try for free). It'll all come down to the final day in Group F. Only then can Germany completely vanquish the champion's curse. Germany vs. Sweden final score, updates<doc-sep>
[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.