Despite a great performance by Robin Olsen, Sweden lost the fateful match in the EC qualifier away to Austria.
Two goals in the final stages of the match decided – which means that the dream of the European Championship in Germany next summer is becoming less and less realistic.
Sweden takes a tough loss from tonight’s match away to Austria.
Despite the fact that it is only Sweden’s third of a total of eight qualifying matches, there has been talk of tonight’s “match of fate”. Austria are believed to be the ones who will settle with Sweden for the group’s second European Championship ticket after the big favorites Belgium.
“It sucks”
Austria took control of the game from the start and created several dangerous chances going forward. But the Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen kept Sweden in the match until the 81st minute of the match. Then Christoph Baumgartner poked in a return from a long shot. Eight minutes later, the decision was signed by the same Baumgartner and Sweden had to see themselves defeated.
– It sucks. They have some chances but we can’t get a hole in them. It’s an important match and we shouldn’t lose like this, says Victor Nilsson Lindelöf to Viasat immediately after the match.
Sweden close to taking the lead
The Swedes had to sweat from the start. Already in the second minute of the match, Austria got a good position in front of the goal after a Swedish wrong pass. But the ending was little more than nothing.
But in the eleventh minute it was Sweden who came close to taking a hold on the match. Victor Nilsson Lindelöf’s rock-hard header was saved by the Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, following a corner.
After that, the Swedish national team had difficulty creating the big scoring chances. 2-0 was the final result.
Sweden is now in clear third place in the group and looks set to have a tough road to an EC next year.