Sweden reaches Euro 2016 after defeating Denmark in playoff

Zlatan Ibrahimovic guaranteed Sweden’s place at Euro 2016 with an inspired two-goal performance as a 2-2 draw with Denmark secured a 4-3 aggregate play-off win.

He bent a fantastic 25-yard free-kick around the wall and inside Schmeichel’s near post to give Sweden a three-goal cushion and a second away goal.

A tight, tense affair for much of the first 45 minutes, the game exploded into life on the stroke of halftime when winger Forsberg swept Mikael Lustig’s pass beyond Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Going into the game with a 2-1 lead from the first leg, Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the tie beyond Denmark’s reach with a brace to make it 2-0 on the night, and 4-1 on aggregate. Player now representing the Paris Saint-Germain could have scored the second goal, but he had a goal ruled out for offside as the Danes struggled to score a goal of their own.

But with 10 minutes left, substitute Jorgensen latched onto a Yussuf Poulsen flick-on from an Eriksen corner to boost Denmark’s hopes of making the finals in France next summer.

Denmark last won the UEFA European Championship in 1992, and made it as far as the qualifying round in 2008.

A similar tribute was paid at the other Euro 2016 first leg playoff of the evening, which saw Ukraine beat Slovenia 2-0. With Denmark coach Morten Olsen making four changes from the team that started Saturday’s 2-1 defeat in Stockholm, the Danes looked much more muscular in midfield, but the final ball was often poor.

He opened the scoring on 19 minutes with a delicate finish from Kim Källström’s corner.

Nicolai Jorgensen would pull one back to slightly dampen Hamren’s spirits but he was still happy to see his team get their noses in front ahead of the second leg in Tuesday.