GROUP E
Sweden 2-1 Poland
Isak 1'
Lindelof 42'
Lewandowski 56'
Kieran O’Brien
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Wednesday 24th June
Since its adoption in 2016, the European Championship’s 24 team format has come under much scrutiny. Much of this criticism has emphasised the increased possibility of ‘meaningless’ group games for certain sides, where a team can effectively secure guaranteed qualification with a win and a draw and can subsequently rest players for their final group game. Fortunately for neutral onlookers, there were no such concerns in Group E. Poland’s shock defeat of Spain in Bilbao had thrown the group wide open, with all four sides still gunning for a place in the knockout stages. With Spain and Ireland kicking off concurrently in Bilbao, Sweden and Poland were all too aware that a strong performance in this Dublin clash was imperative.
The Poles undoubtedly went into this matchday in the strongest position of the four sides. Their unlikely triumph over Spain meant that a win here would guarantee a first-place group finish and potentially an easier route through to the quarter final stage. As such, boss Jerzy Brzeczek would have no doubt instructed his side to keep concentration levels high in the opening exchanges at the Aviva Stadium. Arkadiusz Reca’s mind must have been elsewhere during the team talk, as his lackadaisical defending contributed to one of the most extraordinary openings to a match in European Championship history.
Sweden, fielding an unchanged side from their draw with Ireland, immediately demonstrated an intent to play in the Polish half of the field. Receiving the ball from kick off, Mikel Lustig launched a hopeful pass upfield to the accelerating Robin Quaison. The Mainz frontman jumped with Reca to contest the ball, with the resulting header drifting out of play on the left-hand touchline. The linesman signalled for a Swedish throw in, although replays indicated that Quaison beat Reca to the ball and inadvertently nodded it out of play. Reca, frustrated with the assistant’s error, turned to remonstrate with the referee. His time may well have been better spent defending the throw-in, which Quaison quickly took as a pass to himself via the Polish defender’s back. Quaison then hit the byline and crossed for the unmarked Alexander Isak to head home after just 24 seconds. The goal is the quickest ever scored at a European Championships by some distance, and as the Swedes celebrated a visibly shocked Brzeczek berated his defence for switching off in such an important fixture. Reca will no doubt be targeted by the Polish media for his lack of awareness, but it is Quaison’s impudence and quick thinking that will live long in the memory.
Poland, to their credit, responded accordingly and could have been level just three minutes later in what was turning out to be a frantic opening sequence. Kamil Grosicki played a neat one-two with Robert Lewandowski on the edge of the Swedish area before making a fool of Victor Lindelof with an outrageous dummy. The feint left the West Bromwich Albion winger with the goal at his mercy, but he hit his shot straight at Robin Olsen. Both Grosicki and Sebastien Szymanski were linking effortlessly with Lewandowski, as Poland spent most of the first half threatening to equalise. The attacking flair they exhibited in the first half in Bilbao was again on display here, with a leveller before half time looking almost inevitable. Yet, on 42 minutes, Sweden doubled their advantage.
Emil Forsberg, berated by sections of the Swedish media for his anonymity in their opening two group games, did well initially by bringing the ball out of his own half and riding a challenge from Grzegorz Krychowiak. The Red Bull Leipzig midfielder then touched the ball past Jan Bednarek, who could only succeed in cynically tugging on Forsberg’s shirt. The resulting free kick from Sebastien Larsson found Victor Lindelof at the back post, whose looping header evaded Wojciech Szczęsny and nestled in the far corner. Eagle-eyed camera work captured Sweden boss Janne Andersson exchanging words with his Polish counterpart Brzeczek as they disappeared down the tunnel for half time; no doubt the two may have been sharing their disbelief at the score line.
Poland began the second half in much the same vein as they had played the first and, on 56 minutes, were rewarded for their efforts. Again, it was the lively Grosicki who instigated the attack, skipping past Larsson before delivering a vicious low pass into the feet of Lewandowski. The Bayern frontman demonstrated exactly why he is perhaps the most feared striker in Europe, turning sharply before unleashing an unstoppable drive high into Olsen’s goal. From here it looked as though an equalising goal was a formality, yet a smart switch from Andersson seemed to stifle Poland’s attacking threat. Withdrawing the ageing Larsson for the vibrant Darijan Bojanić was a masterstroke, as the deep lying playmaker repeatedly secured possession for the Swedes and slowed a previously frantic game to a far more manageable pace. Poland continued to threaten, but a stronger returned any balls into their box with ferocious interest.
As the final whistle blew in Dublin, Swedish players collapsed to the turf to celebrate securing an unlikely place in the knockout stages. On this evidence, it may be wise for Andersson to deploy a more cautious approach in the next stage of the competition, as his side looked far more assured in possession after the introduction of an additional holding midfielder. Poland, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to win the group after Spain secured the point required in Bilbao to finish top, but will again be encouraged by their consistently attractive attacking play. With a stuttering England their likely opponents in the last 16, Poland will feel that they have a real chance of replicating their Euro 2016 achievements and securing a quarter final berth.
Man of the Match: Kamil Grosicki