Sweden won an opening World Cup game for the first time since 1958 and ended a worrying goal drought with a 1-0 victory over South Korea in a must-win match if they want to progress from a tricky-looking Group F.
After dominating the game but missing a string of chances, the Swedes won a 65th-minute penalty when Kim Min-woo brought down Viktor Claesson in the box.
Referee Joel Aguilar initially waved the Swedes away, before being called to consult the video assistant referee (VAR) system
In the latest VAR-awarded penalty of the World Cup, Sweden's 33-year-old captain Andreas Granqvist stepped up confidently to send goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo the wrong way and slot the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
"The VAR took a while but we are very pleased they had it ... I was pretty sure," Granqvist said.
The result brought wild celebrations from the hordes of yellow-clad Swedish fans, fearful their team would draw another blank after failing to score in their past three games.
Sweden coach Janne Andersson said the penalty was "crystal-clear".
"We played the match way we had intended, but I'm a little unhappy with the chances we didn't put away," he said.
The Koreans began the game far brighter, pressing and harrying for the first 15 minutes against an initially sluggish-looking Sweden.
But the Scandinavians found their rhythm, coping comfortably with Korea's attacks despite the absence of defender Victor Lindelof through illness.
Korea pressed for an equaliser late on and should have drawn level in stoppage time only for Hang Hee-chan to head wide from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy.
The Swedes held firm and rushed to celebrate with their fans as the Koreans trudged disconsolately off..
Sweden next face world champions Germany on Saturday, when they can ill afford to miss chances like they did against Korea.
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