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Emil Forsberg put his country in the lead with a penalty.
Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev - Pool / Getty Images
Sweden has taken a big step towards the round of 16 at the 2021 European Football Championship.
The oldest team of this tournament won against Slovakia 1-0 (0-0).
Emil Forsberg scored the goal of the day with a penalty kick (77th minute of the game).
With four points from two games, the Swedes had another draw in their last group game against Poland to reach the round of 16.
Slovakia has three points and ends with Spain.
The story of the first half is easy to tell: Both teams tried a controlled offensive, but mostly the defensive rows were in control.
There were no clear scoring chances in Saint Petersburg before the break.
Sweden coach Janne Andersson had announced before the game that he wanted to appear more offensively than in the 0-0 win against Spain at the start, in which the Swedes only had 20 percent possession. His team became really dangerous after just over an hour. Before that, Ondrej Duda had provided the first small highlight of the game. The Slovak's shot from just under twelve meters went just over the gate (51st).
Almost eight minutes later, the Swedes had the best chance of the game so far.
Martin Dubravka in the goal of Slovakia reacted brilliantly with a header from short distance from Ludwig Augustinsson (59.).
It was the prelude to an urgent phase for the Swedes.
Alexander Isak first missed the lead with a head (67th), then after a solo with his shot from the corner of the box (72nd).
Three minutes later there was a penalty for a foul by Dubravka on substitute Robin Quaison.
Forsberg turned safely (77th).
As a result, Sweden was closer to the second goal than the opponent to equalize.
Isak missed the moment to take the free quaison and thus the greatest chance of the decision (82nd).
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