Gyokeres & Sweden on verge of missing World Cup | OneFootball

Viktor Gyokeres battled hard and was involved in some good chances for Sweden on Friday night, but defeat to Switzerland leaves their World Cup hopes in the balance.

Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres was named in the starting lineup for Sweden on Friday against Switzerland, forming a strike partnership with Liverpool’s Alexander Isak.

With Sweden kicking off their World Cup qualification campaign with a draw against Slovenia and defeat to Kosovo, they knew they needed a result against Switzerland to get themselves going. But the away side were on the ball from the start.

Former Gunner Granit Xhaka had the first good opportunity with a third-minute long-distance effort that stung the palms of Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. From the resulting corner, Breel Embolo hit the post.

Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images

Yet Sweden started to take the upper hand after that, and in the 26th minute Gyokeres played a clever pass to the overlapping Lucas Bergvall, who squared for Isak. But the Liverpool striker’s finish came back off the post.

In the 43rd minute, Gyokeres showed good hold-up play to win a long ball under strong defensive pressure and lay it off for Isak. Isak beat the last defender and played it to Bergvall for an open goal, but the Spurs player somehow backheeled the ball away from the net.

Sweden were punished in the second half, with Xhaka converting a penalty for 1-0, and Johan Manzambi securing the three points with a deflected effort in the 94th minute for a 2-0 result.

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There was some encouragement in Gyokeres’ display on an individual level, but Sweden are now in real danger of missing out on the World Cup.

With three games played and three remaining, Sweden sit bottom of their qualification group on one point. Switzerland are top with nine, and just one more win in their final three games would make them uncatchable by Gyokeres’ side.

Even then, it would still be possible for Sweden to finish as the runner-up, making the play-offs. Second-place Kosovo are only on four points, three ahead of Sweden, so a win over Kosovo on Monday would put the team back in the mix.

But defeat could all but confirm elimination, particularly with an away game against Switzerland still to come. Suddenly Monday’s game feels like make or break.