Sweden pummel Mexico but both reach round of 16

YEKATERINBURG: Sweden thumped Mexico 3-0 on Wednesday, overcoming their opponents after a scoreless first half in a result that means both teams advance to the World Cup last 16 at the expense of defending champions Germany. Sweden finished top of Group F on goal difference, with both teams on six points ahead of South Korea and Germany on three apiece, after the champions went down 2-0 in a shock result in Kazan.

After pressing hard for most of the first half and wasting numerous chances, Sweden finally found the net when left back Ludwig Augustinsson charged up the field in the 50th minute and angled home a left-footed volley.

Twelve minutes later, captain Andreas Granqvist kept his concentration in the face of deafening boos and whistles from the Mexican fans to blast a penalty into the top left corner after Hector Moreno had brought down Marcus Berg. Mexico’s misery was complete when the ball trickled in off the leg of Edson Alvarez for a tame own goal.

“This is something I dreamed of. The insane thing is I really had this feeling that I would score at the World Cup,” Augustinsson told reporters.

Needing only a draw to be sure of advancing, Mexico started ten- tatively but somehow managed to reach the break on level terms after surviving a Swedish aerial bombardment and a VAR review when Javier Hernandez appeared to handle the ball in his penalty area.

Mexico will now face the winners of Group E in Samara on July 2, while Sweden will play the runners-up the following day in St Petersburg. The Swedes will be without midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who picked up his second booking of the tournament.

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