Plata stuns Germany as Ecuador make history

Ecuador reached the World Cup knockout stages for just the second time after a gritty 2-1 victory over Germany in their decisive Group E clash. Germany struck inside two minutes when Aleksandar Pavlovic evaded Pedro Vite before Florian Wirtz set up Leroy Sané, though replays showed Pavlovic’s boot caught Vite in the face. Ecuador responded immediately, with Nilson Angulo curling a superb finish beyond Manuel Neuer to level the match.

The contest then turned physical, with few clear chances until Jamal Musiala was denied by a heroic sliding tackle from Félix Torres. Early in the second half, Germany thought they had a penalty when Kai Havertz went down, but VAR ruled out the decision due to a prior foul by Sané.

Ecuador grew stronger late on, and in the 80th minute Gonzalo Plata bundled home from a flicked corner. Under intense pressure, Ecuador defended bravely to secure a historic place in the Round of 32.