Defending champions Germany's World Cup hopes were revitalised thanks to Toni Kroos' goal deep into stoppage time as they claimed a last gasp 2-1 win over Sweden in Group F.
Joachim Low's side were beaten 1-0 by Mexico in their opening game and were unconvincing against the Swedes on Saturday night until Kroos found the winner in the 95th minute from a free-kick on the left of the area.
Toivonen scored the opener for Sweden in the 32nd minute before Reus levelled for Germany early in the second half.
Boateng saw red for the Germans in the 82nd minute to compound their woes before the dramatic finale.
Had Kroos not struck, Germany would have had to beat South Korea on Wednesday and rely on Mexico beating Sweden at the same time.
But the Real Madrid forward sent his fans home happy and dreaming of another successful run to the final.
Germany XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Rudiger, Hector, Rudy, Kroos, Muller, Reus, Draxler, Werner
Sweden XI: Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Claesson, Berg, Toivonen
"Germany were naive"
Gary Neville gave a typically honest assessment of Germany’s display against Sweden
Roy Keane on Germany's performance
We talk about sport, perseverance, perseverance - that’s what champions do. They were awful in terms of chances. But they stuck at it. Brilliant drama. I loved it.
And relax
Yep. Germany did just do that.
And while down to ten men of course.
They’re dead level with Sweden in the group but you have to feel they’ll find a way.
Full-time: Germany 2-1 Sweden
It may well be papering over the cracks, but as they always do, Germany delivered the goods.
A sensational stoppage time goal by Toni Kroos keeps qualification in their own hands with seconds to spare.
That’s why they’re still world champions. Just.
GOAL!!! Kroos missile!
Never.
Rule.
Out.
The.
Germans.
A reckless free-kick for Sweden to concede, a lay-off, and a brilliant curling strike from Toni Kroos.
Germany miss again!
You can almost hear the groans in Berlin and Hamburg!
Julian Brandt beats Olsen this time but his the post and no one could quit meet the rebound.
A second dramatic let-off in as many minutes for Sweden as we enter five minutes of stoppage time...
Essential save!
It’s a brilliant cross into the box, a bullet header by Mario Gomez and an even better save.
All two metres of Robin Olsen fly into the air to palm the delivery away.
A big sigh of relief for the Swedes with two minutes on the clock.
Red card! Boateng goes!
It wasn’t given as a yellow at first, but on reflection the referee sends off Jerome Boateng.
The Bayern Munich man received his first booking not long before for a late challenge.
One of the more wayward members of the German back four, he is guilty of a similar offence again, hooking his legs around the attacker.
Reus the redeemer
Will Borussia Dortmund striker Marco Reus be remembered as the man who kept his country in the World Cup (and perhaps on track to beat England in the quarter-final)?
The 29-year-old has now reached double digits in goals for Germany.
He has been too quick for Sweden on the wing and too dynamic in the middle.
As it stands
A reminder that Germany really do need to keep fighting for a winning goal.
A draw would be no good if Sweden go on to earn a point against already-through Mexico, whatever the champions do against South Korea.
Scoring goals isn’t normally the issue for the world champions, but they only have 20 minutes.
Impact
Vice-captain Thomas Mueller has been the spearhead Germany needed since his arrival onto the pitch.
Sweden, meanwhile, are really under it now. They can’t seem to find a way out of their half.
Is it a matter of time before the top dogs go in front or do the Scandinavians have another surprise up their sleeves?
German margins
This game is still on a knife edge and now it’s Germany playing with greater intensity.
Just like in the first half, the champions have more chances but Sweden look potentially deadly with theirs.
Joachim Loew is looking more animated than ever on the touchline.
GOAL! Reus to the rescue!
Well, that didn’t take long, did it?
Germany have the bit firmly back between their teeth but it didn’t take much.
Sweden memes
This shock half-time scoreline has unsurprisingly really got social media going.
Picture the scenes if Germany can’t find a route back into this.
England fans, no doubt, are already plotting their route to the final.
Classic comeback?
The 2014 champions have 45 minutes to get themselves back into the World Cup.
If there’s one team worth backing to do it, however, surely it’s this tournament machine?
Germany are 23/10 on Betfair to turn things around.
Half-time: Germany 0-1 Sweden
It’s going to be a night of high drama in Russia one way or another.
Ola Toivonen’s chip is the difference after a half where Germany played and Sweden pounced.
Joachim Loew marched straight into the dressing room on the whistle. As it stands, the Swedes are going through and the holders are going home.
GOAL! Toivonen for Sweden!
Sweden make their opponents pay in their purple patch!
Toulouse striker Ola Toivonen gets his first goal at a summer tournament at the perfect time!
The strike was fantastic, looping all the way up and over the looming figure of Manuel Neuer.
It isn’t auf wiedersehen just yet, but it’s set to be a big 15 minutes in the German dressing room...
Cruddy Rudy
Germany have effectively been down to 10 men for a while after Sebastian Rudy went down with a bloody nose.
The difference did show with Emil Forsberg finding more space in midfield.
Joachim Loew has decided enough is enough and brings on Ilkay Guendogan.
Clear and obvious?
Here are some stills of that would-be Sweden penalty.
Marcus Berg goes down in the area from Jerome Boateng’s challenge and VAR have a look.
Looks like a foul to me, Gary, but the TV officials have decided it isn’t self-evident.
Champions in charge
Let’s place Germany’s dominance in some context.
In the first ten minutes of this game, Germany completed 122 passes to Sweden’s 7 (seven!)
Will it be a quiet night for Manuel Neuer in the German nets?
Right on
Joachim Loew’s men have got some decent crosses into the box early doors.
Marco Reus has looked particularly threatening in behind Viktor Claesson on the right wing.
Sweden are having to defend deep here.
Cauldron
Germany have hardly given Sweden a sniff so far and they should be in front through Julian Draxler.
The Fisht Stadium in Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, is rocking.
Which team will slip first tonight?
Kick-off!
The players have warmed up, the anthems have been sung (including a German banger) and the teams have kicked off.
It’s knockout football already for Germany and a chance for Sweden to claim another World Cup scalp.
One way or another, my guess is one-nil.
Sweden double
The focus is inevitably on Germany tonight, but this game presents a huge opportunity for the Swedes.
Sweden haven’t won consecutive World Cup matches since 1958. A record worse than England’s.
Three points tonight would be enough to them to reach the last 16 ahead of a tough fixture against Mexico.
Timo time?
Germany need a flying start in a game they can’t afford to lose and Timo Werner is at 7/2 to score first.
Once a Liverpool transfer target, the RB Leipzig striker has scored three times in his last five games for club and country.
Could he be the man for the Mannschaft?
Sweden team news
Sweden XI: Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Claesson, Berg, Toivonen
Germany team news
Germany XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Rudiger, Hector, Rudy, Kroos, Muller, Reus, Draxler, Werner
Ozil dropped!
Joachim Loew has made a couple of big calls it seems.
Mesut Ozil OUT.
Sami Khedira OUT.
It was clear something had to change.
Forsberg aiming to be himself and send Germany packing
Sweden’s Bundesliga winger Emil Forsberg said he needed to be more like himself if he was to silence his critics and effectively send Germany home from the World Cup when the sides meet in their Group F clash in Sochi on Saturday.
A win for Janne Andersson’s side could see reigning world champions Germany, where Forsberg plays for RB Leipzig, leave the World Cup after the first round for the first time in 80 years.
“The pressure is on Germany, at the same time we don’t want to go in and let ourselves down. We want to show a good side of Sweden against Germany,” the 26-year-old said.
Forsberg was kept on a tight leash in their 1-0 opening win over South Korea and, although he may not have had as much criticism as the German side who suffered a shock 1-0 reverse by Mexico, he knows he has more to give in Sweden’s engine room.
“I’m pretty good at tackling criticism. I’m calm, I’m secure in myself, I’m fairly calm and stable. I understand that if you write that I was bad when I’ve been bad, then it’s normal,” Forsberg told reporters.
A handful of Sweden players trained in the sweltering sunshine on the Black Sea coast on Wednesday, and Forsberg said it was good to get a few touches on the ball and practice his finishing ahead of Saturday’s game.
Known for his pace, balance and trickery, Forsberg quickly made a name for himself in Germany after arriving from Malmo in January 2015, and on Saturday he will aim to send the Germans home.
As heir apparent to Sweden’s record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who retired from the national side after Euro 2016, Forsberg has struggled to be his country’s creative spark in recent games, leading to some media criticism.
“I just need to be Emil Forsberg, to believe in it, receive the ball and get my feet moving. It’s been lacking recently, but it’s coming,” he said.