Germany 0-1 Serbia
Milan Jovanovic and Vladimir Stojkovic teamed up to re-ignite Serbia's World Cup campaign as much-praised Germany faltered.
• Antic: Win was for 'our people'
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Jovanovic blasted home a 38th-minute winner from close range two minutes after
Germany striker Miroslav Klose had been sent off, and Wigan keeper Stojkovic
saved a second-half Lukas Podolski penalty to blow Group D wide open.
Each of the three games in the group to date has seen a red card, and Klose
will be suspended for Wednesday's final first round clash with Ghana in
Johannesburg as Serbia take on Australia in Nelspruit.
Germany arrived in Port Elizabeth having established themselves among the
favourites to win the tournament once again following a crushing 4-0 defeat of
the Socceroos in their first game, but with coach Joachim Low insisting he had
not been completely satisfied by their performance in Durban.
Low's mood will have darkened considerably after an opening 45 minutes at the
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium during which little went right for his team.
Podolski blasted a seventh-minute volley just wide, but in a largely
uninspiring first half, the fireworks came in the last nine minutes.
Spanish referee Alberto Undiano had issued the first of six yellow cards to
Klose for a foul on Branislav Ivanovic with just 12 minutes gone, and it was the
Germany striker who also collected the final caution of the opening 45 minutes
for a trip on Serbia skipper Dejan Stankovic.
Things were to deteriorate further for the Germans within two minutes when
impressive winger Milos Krasic picked out 6ft 6in striker Nikola Zigic at the
far post and he headed down for Jovanovic to control in front of goal and steer
the ball past stranded Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.
Low's men belatedly responded with midfielder Sami Khedira firing against the
underside of the crossbar and Thomas Muller forcing a goal-line clearance from
Aleksandar Kolarov with his follow-up in injury time, but Serbia held out.
Werder Bremen midfielder Mesut Ozil, who had started the game playing behind
Klose, found himself pushed further forward after the break, but it was Podolski
who shot across the face of goal within a minute of the restart.
For all they were a man short, it was Germany who made the running during the
opening minutes of the second half, and it took a last-ditch challenge by
Nemanja Vidic to prevent Bastian Schweinsteiger from collecting Philipp Lahm's
superb 54th-minute through-ball.
Stojkovic spilled Schweinsteiger's well-struck shot seconds later and was
grateful to see Podolski fire wide of the far post under pressure from Ivanovic
with the Germans turning the screw.
But Stojkovic came to the rescue on the hour when, after Vidic had needlessly
handled in the area, he dived to his left to save Podolski's spot-kick.
Serbia might have increased their lead, but Jovanovic's 67th-minute shot came
back off the post and Zigic's header clipped the bar seven minutes later with
Neuer beaten.
Stojkovic had to turn away substitute Marko Marin's deflected shot with 12
minutes remaining, but there was no way back for the Germans.