Sweden 4-1 Germany: Blågult demolish 10-player Germany in statement win | OneFootball

Goals from Stina Blackstenius, Smilla Holmberg, Fridolina Rolfö and Lina Hurtig saw Sweden come from behind to beat 10-player Germany after a hugely impressive performance in Zürich.

Die Frauenteam had taken the lead early on through Jule Brand after exploding out of the blocks, and at times in the opening stages, it looked like they might’ve gone on to win by a cricket score.

But then everything changed, with Blackstenius’ counter-attacking equaliser resulting in Germany’s rhythm totally collapsing. Things went from bad to worse when Carlotta Wamser saw red after clearing a Rolfö shot off the line with her hand.

All of that was in the first half, and anyone in the Swedish frontline could’ve given them their fourth goal in the second. In the end it was Hurtig who put the cherry on top of a statement victory.

The result was enough to see Sweden top Group C, while Germany had to settle for second.

As it happened

From the outset, the situation at the Stadion Letzigrund was clear. With both sides having won their opening two games, a heavily rotated Sweden knew a draw was enough to top Group C. Germany, on the other hand, required all three points to leapfrog their opponents.

It wasn’t entirely surprising, then, that a favoured German outfit started their bombardment of the Swedish goal very quickly indeed. Their first shot came less than 20 seconds into the game, with Brand firing an effort into the midriff of Jennifer Falk. Shortly after, Lea Schüller smashed an ambitious volley just wide of the top corner, and she’d soon miss another chance in the form of a header sent over the crossbar.

All of those warning shots came within the opening five minutes, and in the seventh, they took the lead they’d been threatening. It was Brand once more, released by Wamser through on goal, composed enough to slot her shot into the bottom corner past a sprawling Falk.

At this point, they looked like they could’ve won by some margin. That wasn’t to be the case.

With other ideas, Sweden responded with a prompt equaliser on the break. Germany, caught in possession in the middle of the park, had a defensive line shaped more as a square, and located entirely on their right-hand side of the pitch. Blackstenius spotted this and darted into the vacant left. With acres of space to run into, she had plenty of both time and clarity of mind to decide how she’d convert the chance, eventually powering her shot into the bottom left corner. Ann-Katrin Berger was left rooted to the spot.

Germany responded as they’d began the game: keeping the ball and fashioning a decent opportunity for Klara Bühl, which was well saved by Falk.

But then, they fell behind to a freakish finish. Again, Sweden were hitting on the break, with Holmberg bearing down on goal. Sarai Linder, in an attempt to stop the chance, flew in with a forceful tackle, one which inadvertently cannoned the ball off Holmberg’s foot and past a flabbergasted Berger. It was a one-in-a-million goal, and it completely disrupted any German rhythm.

By the half-hour mark, it could’ve been three; Blackstenius curled one strike over the bar, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, after latching onto a loose Berger pass, elected to square the ball when she really should’ve shot herself.

Soon after, though, it was three: Kaneryd squared the ball once more, this time finding Rolfö, whose shot was cleared off the goal line by the arm of Wamser. The right back – deputising for the injured Giulia Gwinn, no less – was given her marching orders and watched on as Rolfö slotted her penalty into the bottom corner to double the advantage.

Germany’s plan in the second half changed as a result. Their game now was about damage limitation, with the 10 players seldom fashioning opportunities going forwards. Sweden, with their sizeable lead in mind, now didn’t have to create chance after chance, either. Still, they could’ve scored their fourth through any of Magdalena Eriksson, Blackstenius, Filippa Angeldahl or Kaneryd.

In the end, it was the substitute Hurtig, tapping home from very close range after a sweeping Swedish move, who put the final nail in the German coffin.

No team has scored four against them in European Championship history. No team in recent memory has beaten them so convincingly. Not many teams at this competition have looked better than Sweden who, with this win in mind, cannot be underestimated at all. Spain look imperious, France have impressed, and Sweden are up there with them.

Who’s to say they can’t go all the way? Not Germany: that’s for sure.

The lineups

GER: Berger; Wamser, Minge, Knaak, Linder; Senß, Nüsken; Brand, Freigang, Buehl; Schüller