Switzerland Defeated By Sweden – Advance To The Quarter-Finals

Sweden and Switzerland took to the field today and for Sweden, today made history as the nation have only once advanced beyond the quarterfinals. After defeating Switzerland 1-0, they advance to the quarter-finals, a first in 24 years.

It was Emil Forsberg who helped the Swedes get on the scoreboard with a goal 19 minutes into the second half. Forsberg, who at 26, tends to shy away from the limelight is far different than that of Sweden’s previous, Zatan Ibrahimovic, sometimes being less is being more as he achieved what Ibrahimovic was unable.

After taking the place of Ibrahimovic two years ago after his retirement, Forsberg had some big shoes to fill, but with his superior skills and fast running, the midfielder knew what was at stake in Russia. With the shot from the edge of the goal that lacked power, his shot deflected off Manuel Akanji and bounced high into the net.

The goal was enough for Sweden as it became the fifth team from Europe to go to the quarterfinals. Sweden will now play England on Saturday after England’s Harry Kane scored England’s only goal eliminating Columbia in the process. With both teams having a stellar performance, those looking for top-rated sportsbooks to place bets on the quarterfinal match may want to consider 888Sports, a favourite for many sports betting Canadians. With promos in full swing, the opportunities are ripe for the taking.

Match #55 | #SWE 1-0 #SUI #SWESUI pic.twitter.com/ARsZod37rM

— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) July 3, 2018

Sweden has not advanced to the semi-finals since 1994. They have had reasonable success in the world cup having made the final 16 four out of the last five tournaments. However, scoring seems to be their biggest problem having gone scoreless each time they were eliminated, and the same was the case when they last made the quarter-finals – for England, that is good news they hope will continue to plague the Swedes.

The match ended with Sweden having ten players left after Michael Lang was hit with a foul and exited the game. Initially awarded a free kick for his foul against Martin Olsson, it was overturned after video reply and instead Switzerland was awarded a free kick.

Switzerland simply failed to perform, and at this level and with all that is on the line, it was surprising they were still in the hunt to win. Even though Sweden took the win, they too played lacklustre failing to capitalise on opportunities against the Swiss. Both Marcus Berg and Albin Ekdal missed solid scoring chances. Two of those came as a result of Berg, who missed twice. Ekdal sent his shot high over the net and failed to get the job done.

Still, Sweden may have been limited somewhat but tapped into their strengths, the same that allowed them to win against Italy. Placed into a group that included some of the favoured to win teams, including Germany, the Swedes pulled off what few expected.

Switzerland went into the World Cup ranked 6th, and for a team that high in expectations, they didn’t play like they deserved it. Their style of play was messy, and they only managed one decent scoring opportunities. They may not have lost a match in the last twenty-five, but watching them against Sweden, you would never have known it.