Sweden maul Mexico 3-0 to top Group F

Sweden propelled themselves into the World Cup knockout stage with a handsome victory over Mexico that qualified them as Group F winners and condemned Germany to early elimination.

Mexico, undone on the counter attack and from the penalty spot before conceding an own goal, joined Sweden in reaching the next round as runners-up despite the defeat after the defending champions also lost.

Germany, the four-time World Cup winners, were beaten 2-0 by South Korea and failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time in 16 consecutive appearances since 1954.

BBC reports that Sweden also had a first-half penalty claim for a handball by Javier Hernandez that was denied despite going to a VAR review, but in the end it mattered little after three second-half goals.

Ludwig Augustinsson fired Sweden ahead five minutes after the break when a Viktor Claesson mis-hit inadvertently found him free at the far post, before Andreas Granqvist smashed in a penalty 12 minutes later following a Hector Moreno trip on Marcus Berg.

Mexico – who went close through a curling Carlos Vela effort in the first half – pressed hard for a reply but were punished again when Edson Alvarez clumsily turned in an attempted clearance past his own keeper.

Juan Carlos Osorio’s side, so brilliant in two previous wins over Germany and South Korea, should have at least a goal from their underwhelming performance but for woeful Vela header in the closing stages.

The teams will find out who they play in the next round later this evening, after the final round of matches in Group E.

As it stands Sweden would face Switzerland, while Mexico, who have been knocked out in the last 16 of every World Cup since 1994, will most likely play Brazil.

With the game fading into injury time and Sweden certain of victory, Mexican fans began to think what was before the game unthinkable – possible elimination.

At that stage, Germany were still drawing 0-0 with South Korea, and a late goal for Joachim Low’s side would have moved them into second place on goal difference.

The two late goals for South Korea – the second came after the final whistle had been blown in Ekaterinburg – were greeted with celebration and relief at the end of a performance that had little to cheer about.

This was the first time in Colombian Osario’s 51 matches in charge of Mexico that he made no changes from their previous match.

But his team were completely unrecognisable from the 2-1 victory over South Korea that followed that impressive opening 1-0 win against Germany.

They found it far more difficult against Sweden, who threw everything towards claiming the win.

It now seems that Osario – criticised in the past for too much tinkering – will face questions of a different sort, just when he thought he had found his best XI.