World Cup 2018: Mexico reprieved despite Sweden defeat as world champions Germany are dumped out

Mexico 0-3 Sweden: Janne Andersson's side finished top of Group F on a dramatic day

On a day when they started third in Group F, knowing they needed to better the result of the world champions who were playing a team without a point so far, Sweden found themselves finishing it top of the group, and Germany bottom and out of the World Cup.

Sweden beat Mexico 3-0 in Ekaterinburg, with Germany losing 2-0 to South Korea 2,892.6 miles away in Kazan, as the 2014 champions became the fourth holders in five World Cups to crash out at the group stage.

Maybe it was the pressure of having played so well in their first two games, but Mexico started the game far more nervously than they did against Germany or South Korea. They started to make reckless mistakes. Gallardo was booked in the first minute for a clumsy challenge. Guillermo Ochoa gave away a free-kick for handling outside his area. Javier Hernandez handled the ball inside the Mexican area and had a nervous few seconds - puffing out his cheeks in panic - as the referee consulted VAR, before deciding not to award the penalty kick.

It took time for Mexico to gain any foothold in the game. Sweden did not give them the same space to break into that Germany did, which meant that they had to work harder for their openings, hassling hard to win the ball high up the pitch. It took Hernandez winning the ball to make their first chance, which fell to Carlos Vela, only for him to curl it wide of the far post. Vela is dangerous when drifting in from the right and shooting with his left, and he bent another one over from distance.

So the teams went into the break level at 0-0, just as Germany and South Korea did in Kazan. Enough for Mexico to win the group, but not enough for Sweden to overtake Germany. The onus was on them in the second half to push Mexico for a winner, because otherwise they were going out.

Sure enough, Sweden raised it and four minutes into the second half they took the lead. Viktor Claesson scuffed a shot from a cross and the ball ballooned up to the over-lapping left-back Ludwig Augustinsson. With plenty of space at the far post, he finished with enough power to beat Ochoa. As it stood, Sweden were now going through, Germany were heading out.

Sweden's defender Ludwig Augustinsson celebrates after scoring the opening goal (AFP/Getty Images)

This was when Mexico needed to keep their heads but when Marcus Berg broke through soon after, Hector Moreno mistimed his slide tackle in the box and brought him down. This time, unlike the Hernandez hand-ball in the first half, there was no doubt over the penalty, no recourse to VAR. And when Andreas Granqvist stepped up to take the penalty, he clipped it in the top corner.

It was a testimony to Sweden’s resilience and steady pressure that they had gone 2-0 up, while Mexico were struggling with the first opponent who had not just made things easy for them. The game had turned against them, and Mexico were wilting, panicking, unable to find a response. With their next attack Sweden scored a third, as Alvarez tried to clear the ball but sent it into his own net.

Now with this game lost Mexico were left at Germany’s mercy. If Germany could find a winner then Mexico were heading out, even though they beat the reigning world champions in that thrilling first game. It was then just a matter of waiting nervously, with nothing else left for the beaten Mexican team to do.

Upon the final whistle the Mexican players were in tears, thinking they had blown their chance in Russia and lost when all they had to do was anything but that. At the same moment a second South Korea goal had rolled into the net in Kazan and the tears kept coming. Mexico are through. Sweden are through. Germany are out.