Germany reached the FIFA World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014 while the Netherlands edge closer with a 5-1 thrashing of Sweden.
Super-sub Deniz Undav scored twice in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory for the Gewrmans over Cote D’Ivoire in Toronto.
Franck Kessie turned in from close range to give the Ivorians a 30th-minute lead, but Undav volleyed home midway through the second half before snatching an injury-time winner.
Germany almost carved out the perfect start when Kai Havertz won a header from kick-off and fired the loose ball just over the crossbar.
Joshua Kimmich then found the frontman with a pinpoint cross, but his low header was beaten away by Yahia Fofana.
Fofana was beaten shortly after when Aleksandar Pavlovic headed home a corner from the right, only for the referee to blow after the Bayern Munich midfielder was adjudged to have led with an elbow.
Cote D’Ivoire hung in though, and sucker-punched the four-time champions down the other end.
The ever-dangerous Yan Diomande burst down the left and put in a low cross which fell to the feet of Amad Diallo.
While Nathaniel Brown made a block, he couldn’t prevent Kessie from tucking home the rebound.
The Africans held their own at the start of the second half, forcing Julian Nagelsmann to shuffle his pack.
He called upon Nadiem Amiri and Undav on the hour and just eight minutes later the former sent an inch-perfect cross for the latter to head in the leveller.
Fae turned to his bench and was almost handsomely rewarded himself.
Nicholas Pepe broke down the right, and as Evann Guessand dragged away the German defence, Simon Adingra was left all alone on the left side of the box. However, a loose touch saw him crowded out.
That chance proved to be crucial as, four minutes into stoppage time, Lukas Nmecha slid a clever ball through to Undav, who turned and finished with aplomb to break Cote D’Ivoire hearts.
Dutch go rampant
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in Houston.
The big win in front of nearly 69,000 put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them liftoff after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (none).
The Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.
Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.
It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.
Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.
Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, could not handle Brobbey’s muscular presence.
Up front the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.
Twelve minutes after his opener Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Sweden’s English coach Graham Potter was in deep discussions with his backroom staff as the game threatened to run away from them.
At the unpopular hydration break Potter made a beeline for left-sided defender Gabriel Gudmundsson of Leeds United, who was being overrun by the flying Dumfries and Donyell Malen.
Sweden then had their best chance, Gyokeres crossing for an unmarked Yasin Ayari who completely miscontrolled the ball with his chest.
Gyokeres was next to fluff a good chance, failing to make proper contact after being played in by the largely anonymous Isak.
Gyokeres and Ayari twice both had further sights of goal, only to be denied by the increasingly overworked Verbruggen.
The Netherlands were hanging on by end of the half.
Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.
Nottingham Forest winger Elanga pulled one back five minutes later when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.
West Ham’s Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.
Sweden face Japan next while the Netherlands play Tunisia.
