2023-09-09 18:08:43
Sweden has prepared itself for the meeting with Austria in the European Football Championship qualification. The “Blagult” clearly won 5-0 (3-0) against Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday and achieved the targeted away win three days before the duel with the ÖFB team in Solna. Belgium recorded its third win in its fourth appearance. The “Red Devils” won 1-0 (1-0) in Azerbaijan in a minimalist manner and moved to the top of the table.
Sweden’s team boss Janne Andersson relied on his offensive strength in the Baltics and sent his team onto the field in a 4-4-2 with wingers Emil Forsberg and Dejan Kulusevski as well as attackers Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak. Although Estonia had their first chance, the guests quickly took a 2-0 lead. Gyökeres (18th), who plays for Sporting Lisbon, used the cross pass from the advanced right-back Linus Wahlqvist after a good combination, before Tottenham’s Kulusevski (24th) had a clear path all too easily after a pass from Forsberg.
Estonia’s defense was also out of the picture when Isak made it 3-0 to Sweden (39′). The Newcastle United striker headed a cross from the left center unchallenged. The Estonians made three changes at half-time and came close to scoring after an hour of play from Martin Miller. Shortly afterwards, Andersson took his strike duo Isak/Gyökeres off the field. Substitute Robin Quaison (75th) promptly scored his team’s fourth goal with a header from Kulusevski’s cross, and Viktor Claesson (92nd), the second “joker” in attack, also scored in stoppage time.
Sweden achieved the necessary victory, it was only their second in the current European Championship qualification. There were defeats against Belgium at home (0:3) and most recently away in Vienna (0:2).
The Belgians, who are ahead in Group F with a goal difference of 8:1, have so far only given up points against the now second-placed Austrians (both 10 points) in a 1-1 draw in Brussels. Yannick Carrasco scored the decisive goal in Baku in the 38th minute. After a successful press by the Belgians, Johan Bakayoko’s actually harmless shot was decisively deflected by Carrasco, who is now playing in Saudi Arabia.
Coach Domenico Tedesco’s team will still have to do without its long-term injured stars Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois. This did not matter at the bottom. Leandro Trossard hit the outside bar in the 5th minute. After taking the lead, captain Romelu Lukaku and Co. managed the result in a minimalist manner. In the end, Azerbaijan tried unsuccessfully to find the equalizer. The Belgians continue next Tuesday in Brussels against Estonia. Here too, the three points for the fifth place in the world rankings are firmly planned.
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