Sweden needed to score a lot of goals in the home game against the Faroe Islands to improve the goal difference in the battle for second place. There were however only two goals scored in the whole game.
In the 35th minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic played the ball to Mikael Lustig, got it back and scored 1-0.
Sweden had several chances to score more goals in the second half. Ola Toivonen had the best chance when he was totally free in the 75th minute, but the keeper made the save.
zlatan career
Shortly later Andreas Granqvist was sent off after a bout and is therefore off against Ireland. Zlatan ended up at the same time in squabbling with Gunnar Nielsen and pushed into the goalie.
Sweden got a penalty in the 81st minute after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been pulled down. Ibrahimovic ended up once again in trouble with Nielsen after having tossed the ball into the face of the goalie.
– I do not see him. It’s a no look pass, so that’s good. I meet him, says Zlatan.
– If I fall, Zlatan had gotten a red card. I do not think he shows me respect, but I guess he is like that, says Nielsen.
Zlatan did not agree with him.
– He should have saved the penalty instead.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the penalty shot safely into the goal and celebrated before Nielsen. After the match, he explained why.
– He talks too much. He should be quiet. It felt like they whined the whole match. I’ve never met a team that is whining so much. Focus on running and playing and maybe you get one point, says Zlatan and continues:
– It was on all the time, I do not understand it. But they provoke in all the wrong ways. I laugh at it. It makes me more psyched.
Sweden is now on 11 points, just like Ireland and Austria. But Austria has six goals better goal difference than Sweden. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was however still happy after the game.
