Sweden win in Stockholm but Denmark steal away goal

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals to put Sweden 2-0 ahead, and though Denmark’s Yussuf Poulsen and Jannik Vestergaard replied in the last 20 minutes, the Swedes advanced 4-3 on aggregate.

Emil Forsberg swept the ball home with a crisp finish in the first half before he was fouled for a penalty converted by skipper Zlatan Ibrahimovic – his first goal against Denmark.

“That said, I am disappointed that we conceded”.

Ibrahimovic, who has declared his intention to call time on his worldwide career following the tournament in France, gave the visitors the lead in Copenhagen against the run of play midway through the first half, before adding a sensational second after the interval.

“That goal could become a really, really important goal”, Denmark coach Morten Olsen said.

Fortunately for Sweden, Ibra was in the latter mood and the PSG front man scored three times across the two legs to give Sweden a place in the Euro 2016 finals. “Of course it would feel better if it had been 2-0 instead, but we have the tie in our hands now having won the “first half”.

And the Swedes only need to look at their most recent play-off contests to know they can not exclusively rely on goals from their talisman, with Ibrahimovic’s brace in a play-off for the World Cup finals in 2014 counting for little when he was upstaged by Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick.

It leaves the return leg in Copenhagen on 17 November delicately poised.

It was the 34-year-old’s first goal against the Danes in seven matches.

The Friends Arena in Stockholm was lit up in the red, white and blue national colours of France, with a minute’s silence observed before play while the players also wore black armbands. “I thought our defence was good for 60 minutes”.