The Tribune

(Mirror.co.uk) Reigning champions Germany are OUT of the World Cup after a shock defeat by South Korea.

It is the first time since 1938 that Germany have been eliminated from the competition at the very first stage.

Joachim Loew’s men failed to break down a resilient Korean side, who still had slender hopes of making the knockout stages themselves on the final day of Group F fixtures.

Then Kim Young-gwon popped up in stoppage time to prod home from a corner, before Son Heung-min made it 2-0, catching Manuel Neuer out of his goal.

Also in Group F

Mexico 0-3 Sweden

They beat France in qualifying, knocked out Holland and defeated Italy in the play-offs.

And now Janne Andersson’s Sweden have claimed the biggest scalp of them all by eliminating world champions Germany.

Sweden dismantled Mexico in Ekaterinburg to avenge their heartbreaking last-gasp loss to Germany on Saturday and stunningly knock out Joachim Loew’s side.

They fully deserve to reach the last 16 for the fourth consecutive time and this win was a triumph for Andersson’s organisation and team spirit.

Mexico were hugely relieved and only squeezed through because Germany shockingly lost to South Korea.

The game was notable for the fastest yellow card at a World Cup when Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo was booked after just 15 seconds for clattering Ola Toivonen.

Mexico struggled to deal with the resultant free-kick and that set the tone as Sweden troubled them with their set-pieces.

Skipper and former Wigan centre-half Andreas Granqvist was a threat and Marcus Berg hit an overhead kick wide from his header at a corner.

Guillermo Ochoa then touched over Berg’s effort from another corner after Emil Forsberg hit a right-foot effort over.

Andersson was furious when referee Nestor Pitana refused to award Sweden a penalty for handball against Javier Hernandez, despite being asked by VAR to review the incident, and the West Ham striker controlled the ball between his chest and right arm.

Mexico paid the price for playing within themselves because they only needed a point to progress and were poor, threatening sporadically through Carlos Vela and Hernandez.

Sweden deservedly made the breakthrough in the 50th minute - and from open play.

Seb Larsson, who is suspended for Sweden’s last-16 game after being booked again, fed Berg on the right and when Viktor Claesson missed his cross, the ball fell to Ludwig Augustinsson at the back post, who scored his first international goal.

Sweden scored a second from the penalty spot on 62 minutes when Hector Moreno brought down Berg and Granqvist expertly dispatched his second spot-kick of the tournament.

Mexico collapsed and gifted Sweden a comical third on 74 minutes when Edson Alvarez swung and missed Isaac Kiese Thelin’s flick-on and the ball went in off his left hand.

Group E

Serbia 0-2 Brazil

Neymar may remain Brazil's poster boy, the current icon of the Samba Boys.

But it is the man who replaced him at Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho, who has arguably emerged as Brazil's most influential player in their quest for a sixth World Cup.

After a subdued start in Russia, Neymar got his mojo back here, playing with customary flair and fluency, as Brazil eased their way into a last 16 tie with Mexico on Monday in Samara.

But it was Coutinho, who scored a majestic goal in Brazil's opening game, who provided a contender for assist of the tournament and who is delivering consistently for Brazil.

The former Liverpool playmaker was in irresistible form here, opening up Serbia with deliveries of breathtaking quality, both vision and execution in jaw-dropping unison.

To single out Coutinho ahead of Neymar, when the latter had his best game of the tournament so far, may seem harsh, but the Barca star ultimately made the difference.

Brazil toiled in their opening two games, an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Switzerland followed by an equally laboured 2-0 win over Costa Rica, which exposed Brazil's underlying vulnerabilities.

Neymar seemed burdened by the weight of expectation on him in those games, but he and Brazil were liberated here, playing with a swagger that confirmed they are back in the groove.

After nutmegging an opponent inside the first minute, Neymar then embarking on a surging run through the middle which had Serbia on the back-foot.

Three minutes later he released Gabriel Jesus, who looked offside, but whose angled shot was blocked before the referee's assistant raised his flag.

And it was Neymar who conjured the first real chance of the game, in the 25 minute, seizing on a loose ball and forcing a fine reflex save from Vladimir Stojkovic with an angled effort.

With his mojo back, Neymar played another defence-splitting ball over the top of the Serbia defence to Jesus, whose finishing let him down yet again when it mattered.

Serbia found it increasingly hard to contain Neymar, Adam Ljajic taking him out and earning a booking on the half-hour, with the Brazil star threatening to open them up again.

A Brazil goal was only a matter of time and it duly came after 36 minutes, Coutinho producing another sublime delivery over the top, with Paulinho eluding his pursuers to apply the finish.

Coutinho had already played two balls over the top before executing a the delivery that yielded the goal, but Serbia had not heeded those earlier warnings and paid the price.

There were, however, some anxious moments for Brazil, not least when Miranda hoiked the ball dangerously close to his own net after a mix-up with goalkeeper Alisson.

And there was a further scare when Alisson punched the ball straight at Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Thiago Silva on hand to prevent the ball from going in.

It amounted to a chaotic 20-minute period after the break for Brazil, one in which they came under sustained pressure but scored their second just when they were wobbling.

Neymar slung in a corner from the left and Thiago Silva rose at the near post to power a header into the net and kill off any hopes of a Serbia comeback, with Brazil marching on.

Brazil’s confirmation as Group E winners put them in the tougher half of the draw along with Uruguay, Portugal, France, Argentina and their last 16 opponents Mexico.

Against that backdrop, England’s chances would surely be enhanced by finishing second in Group G and avoiding that side of the draw, packed with so many established nations.

Switzerland 2-2 Costa Rica

Switzerland secured the draw they needed to reach the knockout stages amid more trademark World Cup 2018 drama.

And Costa Rica finally broke their goal duck and put a Group E point on the board after late, double penalty controversy.

They had one injury-time award overturned following a VAR review. Seconds later came another spot-kick, Bryan Ruiz’s shot bouncing down off the bar, hitting keeper Yann Sommer on the head and going in.

The Swiss were never in danger of not progressing and Costa Rica were out before kick-off. But the breathless finish ensured this game had its talking points.

Switzerland now head for St Petersburg, where they will face Sweden in the last 16 on Tuesday.

But bookings for captain Stephan Lichtsteiner and defender Fabian Schar rule them out of that game and took some gloss off their progress.

Costa Rica flew out of the traps determined to end their wait for a goal and had four efforts in the first 10 minutes.

Only a stunning Sommer save to tip a Celso Borges header onto a post saved them and Daniel Colindres then robbed Xherdan Shaqiri and bent a brilliant effort onto the bar.

But Switzerland weathered the storm and went ahead on 31 minutes through Blerim Dzemaili.

Kendall Waston levelled when he headed home a Joel Campbell corner.

Sub Josip Drmic looked to have wiped the smile off Costa Rica faces with an 88th-minute goal.

But, after a first penalty was overturned for Ruiz being offside, Campbell won another – and the unlucky Sommer ensured it ended honours even.