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June 18 (UPI) -- The Swedes defeated South Korea 1-0 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage match Monday in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. The winning goal was scored by Sweden's captain Andreas Granqvist from a penalty spot in the 65th minute. The penalty shot was awarded after an on-field video review by the referee.
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Sweden and South Korea faced off each other for the fifth time. The Swedish footballers have a record of three wins over South Korea while the other two matches ended in a draw.
The Swedes won their World Cup opening match for the first time since 1958 when they crushed Mexico 3-0 in Solna, Sweden. Before their match in Nizhny Novgorod, they were winless in their last seven World Cup opening matches (two defeats and five draws).
South Korea has extended its winless streak at World Cups to seven games. Last time, the Asian team won in 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa, defeating Greece 2-0. After that, the South Koreans suffered five defeats and ended two games in a draw.
In Group F, Sweden shares the top place with Mexico, which upset reigning champions Germany in a surprise 1-0 win on Sunday. Sweden will play their next game with Germany in Sochi on June 23 while South Koreans will face off against Mexico in Rostov-on-Don on the same day.
