World Cup 2018, Germany vs Sweden: 3 major takeaways from the match

#1 Toni Kroos- The villain and the hero for Germany

Kroos celebrates his wonderful freekick

Toni Kroos had a roller coaster game yesterday. Being the fulcrum of German's midfield, he dominated possession, switched the play from one wing to the other and was responsible to create chances for Germany. His mistake of giving away possession cheaply in the 32nd minute, lead to Sweden scoring the opening goal of the match.

The expressions on Kroos face after committing the mistake which led to the goal suggested that he had led his team to an early exit from the World Cup. Luckily for him, Marco Reus equalised for Germany in the 48th minute and lifted the spirit of the entire team. Kroos became more aggressive in the second-half, started every German attack and was responsible for breaking Sweden's counter-attack.

He had his efforts saved by the Swedish goalkeeper as well as deflected a couple of times in the second half. The moment of redemption finally arrived for him in the 95th when he curled the free-kick into the top corner of the goal. This gave Germany a memorable victory and also a big chance to progress into the knockout stages. Hence, Kroos became a hero for his country at the end of the crucial game.