Sweden cause Germany shock

Sweden caused the biggest shock of the Women’s World Cup as they knocked out Germany in Rennes.

Germany came into the game as clear favourites to march onto the semi finals in Lyon next week but goals from Sofia Jakobsson and Stina Blackstenius rocked the world of football on Saturday evening.

Hedvig Lindahl was forced into a fantastic early stop as she kept out a powerful Lina Magull free-kick diving to her left to push the ball away.

Lea Schuller then thought she had given her side an early lead as her header from a Magull cross was somehow kept out by the cat like reactions of Lindahl as she flicked the ball away to her left.

Sofia Jakobsson was played in, but the angle favoured the goalkeeper Almuth Schult who saved with her feet. From the corner, Magdalena Eriksson headed over.

However the Germans did take the lead when Magull finished acrobatically as she fired past Lindahl following neat link up play with Sara Dabritz who has been their star player in France.

Peter Gerhardsson’s side responded immediately as Jakobsson was again played in behind the defence and she was allowed the time to slide a shot beyond the goalkeeper and into the net.

On the stroke of the interval it was the Swedes who had a great opportunity to go ahead when Fridolina Rolfo allowed Blackstenius to get behind but her effort was tipped over by Schult.

Three minutes into the second half Sweden took the lead as Jakobsson picked out a pinpoint for Rolfo who saw Schult make an outstanding reaction stop. The loose ball, though, fell to Blackstenius, who smashed into the roof of the net.

Lena Oberdorf with two minutes remaining thought she has levelled proceedings but she headed wide of an empty net after Lindahl missed the cross to allow the former Chelsea keeper to breath a huge sigh of relief.

Germany had claims for a late penalty turned down via a tense VAR check after Alexandra Popp was clattered by Hanna Glas.

In stoppage time it was Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side that had the last attempt when Svenja Huth drove forward before blasting her effort wayward when she really should have made Lindahl work for it.

It is 20 years since a side lost a quarter-final after leading. That was Germany too – a 3-2 defeat against the USA in 1999.