Forsberg scored his first international goal before record-scorer Ibrahmivoc made it 2-0 from the spot in Sweden’s 2-1 win over Denmark. PHOTO: AFP
A minute’s silence was observed before Saturday’s games for victims of the Paris attacks on Friday, one of which was outside the Stade de France where world champions Germany were playing a friendly against France.
In Solna, Paris Saint-Germain star Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his ninth goal in nine qualifiers as Sweden claimed a slight advantage over 1992 champions Denmark.
Ibrahimovic converted a second half penalty after Emil Forsberg had scored his first international goal on the stroke of half-time.
But Danish substitute Nicolai Jorgensen grabbed an away-goal lifeline for his side 10 minutes from time, ahead of the second leg in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
A back-heel from Jimmy Durmaz allowed Mikael Lustig to sprint away down the right flank and his pass reached Forsberg at speed. The Leipzig winger then buried a first-time shot into the corner past Kasper Schmeichel.
The Denmark goalkeeper rescued his team just before the half-time whistle with a diving save to deny Ibrahimovic’s power-packed free-kick from just outside the box.
But Ibra finally made it 2-0 five minutes into the second period, converting a penalty after Thomas Kahlenburg had clumsily tripped Forsberg.
With 10 minutes left, substitute Jorgensen latched onto a Yussuf Poulsen flick-on from an Eriksen corner to boost Denmark’s hopes of making the finals next summer.
Ukraine make home advantage count
Ukraine took a comfortable 2-0 lead over Slovenia in Lviv as Andrei Yarmolenko and Yevhen Seleznyov scored in either half of a bad tempered clash at the packed 65,000-seat Lviv Arena.
Ukraine, who have lost all five of their previous qualifying play-offs for major tournaments, dominated early but Samir Handanovic proved solid in the Slovenian goal in the opening 20 minutes.
However, in the 22nd minute Yarmolenko picked up a rebound after Handanovic failed to clear Yevhen Konoplyanka’s cross and slotted inside the far post with a low shot.
After the break, Ukraine continued to press forward and in the 54th minute Seleznyov got the second with a close range shot off an Artem Fedetskiy cross.
Ireland favourites to confirm spot
Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland will be bidding to carry on from where they left off in their 1-1 first leg draw away to Bosnia in Dublin on Monday, where they can confirm qualification with a clean-sheet.
“Everybody walked off the field [fit] and in terms of other players like Glenn Whelan, Seamus Coleman, Marc Wilson...all those people [avoided bookings], so in that sense it’s really good news,” said O’Neill regarding the 1-1 draw.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2015.
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