Euro 2016 tune-ups: Victory is Swede as Zlatan has rare off night

Scandinavians drub Wales 3-0 in final game before summer championship

STOCKHOLM: Sweden finished their home preparations for Euro 2016 with a resounding 3-0 win over fellow qualifiers Wales and for once did not have to rely on the finishing of captain and record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The win gave Sweden a boost before they kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 13, while the Welsh take on Slovakia this Saturday.

Over 37,000 fans came to see Sweden off and goals from Emil Forsberg, Mikael Lustig and John Guidetti, with Ibra making the pass for the opener, secured a comfortable win. “Victories are always fun. I’m happy we scored three goals, and that the three goalscorers aren’t named Zlatan,” said Sweden coach Erik Hamren.



Ibrahimovic scored more than half of Sweden’s goals in qualifying but it was winger Forsberg who opened the scoring in the first half, and he looks to have forged an excellent understanding with his captain.

Full-back Lustig added a second goal and Guidetti, a central figure in the Sweden team that won the U21 European Championship last summer, rounded off the scoring with his first goal.

The result was a much-needed shot in the arm for the Swedes after a scoreless draw against Slovenia last week.



“We corrected some things after the Slovenia game,” said Hamren. “But we must raise ourselves considerably before the group games start.”

For Wales coach Chris Coleman the result was a reality check as they head into Group B also featuring England and Russia.

“We get a bit  of success, a bit of expectation, sometimes a little bit of complacency and that can give you a little slap in the face,” said Coleman, who kept talisman Gareth Bale on the bench for over an hour.



“Maybe that’s what’s happened to us, certainly today. It doesn’t mean we can’t produce something special (at Euro 2016), because we’re capable of it”

Elsewhere, Czech Republic were beaten 2-1 by Korea Republic, Belgium defeated Norway 3-2, Serbia and Russia drew 1-1, while Turkey bested Slovenia 1-0.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2016.

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