S Eger 2-1. However, a severe returned in Copenhagen on Tuesday. Sweden was about to relax a strong grip on the EM-ticket, but Denmark’s reduction could be crucial.
Photo: Janerik Henriksson / TT
Oops which cliffhanger it was. And, oh, the horror film it is.
The first playoff meeting between Sweden and Denmark ended with a Swedish victory, 2-1, before a full house at the Friends Arena, but it is on Tuesday everything will be decided in Copenhagen.
To let in goals at home is never good in this kind of double meeting, but at the same time it was important to win the game. Sweden is after all through to the European Championship in France in a draw on Tuesday night.
It is absolutely unclear how this will end. Sweden had the grip on the EM-ticket after 2-0, but could not resist the Danish press in the final stage.
The red and white mitigation in 80 minutes seemed both unnecessary and bitter, but was not completely unfair.
Now it to quickly recharge the batteries and make sure to bring with it a draw in Copenhagen. It will not be easy, but Sweden is still 2-1 victory with him. It is important to remember.
Erik Hamréns national team has several times in the qualifiers had difficulty finding the right mental balance from the start, and often ended up at a disadvantage. But not this time. It was an aggressive team, and the expected starting line-up, who came out to play after a long hard day which until kickoff otherwise marked by the appalling terrorist attacks in Paris.
It was a long time ago blue and yellow were so in sync in the press, then tagged in the close control and as decisively as in the attacks.
Not even the loss of Mikael Antonsson – in with Erik Johansson instead after 29 minutes – disrupted. The battle for midfield won with power and finesse. Emil Forsberg for forward like a yo-yo on the edge, Kim Kallstrom and Oscar Lewicki synchronized each other nicely in there in the middle and on the other edge head, Jimmy Durmaz with smart heels and dribbling.
Forward came Zlatan Ibrahimovic started growing and Marcus Berg should have made at least one goal in the chances he got.
Instead, it was Emil Forsberg found right in the 45th minute. The prelude was delicious. Durmaz heeled the ball to Mikael Lustig on the right (Lustig was really good) and he struck the ball inwards back to Forsberg, who pushed directly to the right.
So neat, so important and so well deserved.
The minute later, Ibrahimovic extremely close to 2-0 but the highly targeted free-kick was saved by Kasper Schemeichel.
The atmosphere of the Friends was electric. And the better it would be.
It was only four minutes after the break before Forsberg once again stood in the center. He challenged, tripped past a couple of Danish leg before Thomas Kahlenberg felled him in the penalty area. Punishment.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic strode forward – and made no mistake. His 60th goal in blue and yellow sweater, the 20th at Friends, meant the 2-0 and just then a big step closer to the European Championship finals in France.
But Denmark did a double, took over the initiative and in the 80th minute was reduced after a corner. Substitute Nicoalai Jorgensen blurted force a glancing header and pressed into 2-1. A goal which can prove to be very crucial for Tuesday’s return at Parken in Copenhagen.
Erik Hamrén dared not keep the captain Ibrahimovic time out (in the John Guidetti last ten instead) when he would be banned in the return on a yellow card.
it’s still there at the Parken in Copenhagen, as everything will be decided.
Everything is wide open. Sweden goes to the European Championship if it manages a draw at the park, but Denmark need “only” win 1-0 after the goal of the Friends.
This applies to Hamréns crew to go out with the same aggressiveness as in the first half and keep track of the Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen. Tottenham pro did not get much space as long Källström and Lewicki lay close to him, but the last half hour he steered increasingly Danish offeniven.
For Sweden and Hamrén now need to pick a central defender when Mikael Antonsson hardly topical for the return, and only three central defenders were in the squad from the start.
It will be a cliffhanger at the park.
I can not wait until Tuesday evening.
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