Sweden laid down a marker for Girls’s Euro 2025 by confidently beating 10-woman Germany 4-1 on Saturday and topping Group C with an ideal 9 factors.
Peter Gerhardsson’s staff will face the runners-up from Group D, probably reigning European champions England, within the quarter-finals after sweeping apart Germany with a robust show of soccer in Zurich.
Sweden followers sung ABBA songs within the stands of the Letzigrund Stadium as targets from Stina Blackstenius, Smilla Holmberg, Fridolina Rolfo and Lina Hurtig noticed off the Germans who have been among the many favourites for general victory forward of the match.
However after taking an early lead via Jule Model, Christian Wueck’s staff did little else to justify their billing and have been completed for as soon as Carlotta Wamser was despatched off for handballing a goal-bound shot within the thirty first minute.
Germany completed on six factors and can face the winner of Group D within the subsequent spherical, with France at present main the way in which forward of Sunday’s last spherical of matches earlier than the knockout stage.
Each groups have been already via to the quarters earlier than kick-off, with Poland profitable their useless rubber with fellow eradicated staff Denmark 3-2 in Lucerne.
And Germany, who at the moment are on the identical facet of the draw as world champions Spain, appeared in fantastic type when Wamser put via Model to squeeze the opening aim previous Jennifer Falk within the seventh minute.
However Blackstenius levelled 5 minutes later, simply because the Germans appeared to be on high, when she was given a baffling quantity of house to stride via onto Kosovare Asllani’s move and drill the equaliser into the underside nook.
From that time onwards Sweden have been in full management of the sport and Holmberg gave them a deserved lead within the twenty fifth minute when she weaved her well beyond Klara Buehl and Sarai Linder.
Making an attempt to recuperate, Linder slid in to cease Holmberg from taking pictures however as an alternative booted the ball off her opponent and into the web.
And the sport was up for Germany simply after the half-hour following Wamser’s acrobatic handball of Rolfo’s shot in a determined try to cowl for wayward goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
Rolfo stroked residence the ensuing spot-kick and the match was nearly as good as over with practically an hour left to play.
Sweden slowed down within the second half, secure within the information that Germany must rating thrice to grab first place, and Hurtig accomplished the rout with 10 minutes remaining by tapping residence Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s low cross.
td/nf