The three-time champions demonstrated their resilience once again by coming back from a Luis Hernandez strike two minutes after half-time to clinch a meeting against Romania or Croatia on Saturday.

Bierhoff's strike partner Juergen Klinsmann pulled Germany back into the game with 15 minutes left when Mexican defender Raul Lara mis-controlled a Dietmar Hamann cross and the German captain stabbed the ball past Jorge Campos.

The goal by `El Matador' Hernandez left the Germans in danger of suffering one of the most disappointing defeats in their World Cup history. They were knocked out of the 1994 finals in the quarter-finals by Bulgaria. Just two minutes into the second half, Hernandez dribbled his way through a trio of German defenders to blast the ball past 'keeper Andy Koepke.

Berti Vogts's team, a veteran squadwith an average age of nearly 30, have struggled with their form in France.

Their defence certainly looked slugglish when Hernandez picked up a pass from Cuauhtemoc Blanco and weaved his way past Michael Tarnat and Christian Woerns before firing the ball past Koepke.

In the 61st minute the Mexicans should have scored a second when substitute Jesus Arellano broke away on his own down the right.

But Koepke managed to turn his shot onto his right-hand post and Hernandez hit the rebound tamely into Koepke's arms.

The game, bogged down for much of the first half, burst into life in the final 10 minutes before the break. In the 38th minute German wing-back Michael Tarnat hit a fierce shot from outside the penalty area which Mexican 'keeper Jorge Campos did well to save, diving to his left in spectacular fashion to push the ball away one-handed.

Two minutes later German striker Bierhoff went desperately close to scoring when he hit the bar with a header with Campos stranded.

The Mexicans also had agood chance just before the interval when striker Francisco Palencia broke free on the left-hand side of the box but Koepke managed to stop his shot with his legs.