Sweden beat Slovakia 1 – 0 to keep the dream of the knockout stage alive. It was a diabolical spectacle but Sweden won’t be bothered about that: they got the result they wanted thanks to Forsberg’s 77th-minute penalty. They deserved it for their slight improvement in the second half – Isak, in particular, showed flashes of real class in an otherwise humdrum side – while Slovakia must regret being so negative for most of the match.
Now Slovakia will probably need to get at least a point from Spain in their last group game, while Sweden will take on Poland knowing that victory could send them to the top of the ground. RB Leipzig’s Forsberg slotted in with 13 minutes remaining after substitute Robin Quaison was hauled down by goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Emil Forsberg’s second-half penalty ensured Sweden took a huge step towards qualifying for the last 16 at Euro 2020 with victory against Slovakia in St Petersburg.
The spot-kick ended a run of 365 minutes without a goal for Sweden at the European Championship, since their opening group game at Euro 2016. While Slovakia could have secured their progress to the knockout stages with a win, Sweden now lead Group E with four points – one more than Slovakia who face Spain in their final match.
SOurce – BBC News
