Of course, some of the continent’s top strikers will not be staying in the basement of European football.
So goodbye, C Division.
Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak shot the national team to group victory in the Nations League.
Tonight’s 2-1 win against Slovakia was just what was needed to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. In 2026, games in the second highest league await.
After years of setbacks, a success finally came. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s national team build is both more beautiful and more stable, even if it is a long way from the finished product.
The margins are small sometimes – and this time they were on the side of the national team and AIK midfielder Anton Salétro.
Slovak free mode directly
He got a leading role right away. Already after 30 seconds, he carelessly threw the ball away. Tomas Suslov got free, but fired eagerly wide with his worst foot, the right.
Just over a minute later, Yasin Ayari intercepted the ball in the middle, played quickly to Isak whose deep ball reached Gyökeres.
Perhaps Europe’s hottest striker right now rarely misses such situations. Distinctly, he scored his fifth goal in the season’s Nations League – and gave the national team a dream start.
Milan Skriniar and Alexander Isak in a duel.
Milan Skriniar and Alexander Isak in a duel.
Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT
Gyökeres, Isak and Dejan Kulusevski – an attacking trio of high international class – poured in, creating chaos in the Slovakian defence, with good assistance from the excellent Ayari among others.
Martin Dúbravka, Isak’s club mate at Newcastle, shouted and scolded his outfield players when he failed to respond to brilliant saves.
Faith in the national team is back. The crowds (36,417) at the national arena in Solna enjoyed the entertainment.
Isak’s class goal
But football is played both ways. Defensively, the national team is weaker. Gabriel Gudmundsson’s missed clearance ended up with Dávid Hancko, who screwed in 1-1 via the post.
That goal was framed by two other defensive setbacks. Isak Hien was cautioned and is suspended against Azerbaijan on Tuesday, team captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf limped off injured after 26 minutes.
Isak was a hair’s breadth away from making it 2-1 on a half-volley before the break. The lead goal instead came directly after it. He calmly pushed the ball high into the roof of the net behind Dúbravka.
A class goal by a hot Isak who is in brilliant form.
Milan Skriniar received a red card for a rough tackle on Gyökeres in the 90th minute.