8 hours ago
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Alexander Isak couldn’t hide his frustration as Sweden’s World Cup hopes suffered a devastating blow in Stockholm.
The Liverpool forward, who recently offered a fresh fitness update to fans, looked visibly distraught after a 2–0 defeat to Switzerland — a loss that leaves Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side rooted to the bottom of Group B with just one point from three matches.
The match, which featured several Liverpool players playing internationally, began with optimism. Sweden, desperate to spark their qualifying campaign, fielded a strong attacking duo in Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Backed by a sold-out crowd at the Strawberry Arena, the hosts tried to set an early tempo but found themselves repeatedly undone by Switzerland’s pressing and composure in midfield.
Switzerland nearly opened the scoring inside five minutes when Granit Xhaka’s powerful left-footed strike forced Sweden goalkeeper Peter Johansson into an early save. That moment set the tone — the visitors looked sharp, confident, and dangerous on the counter.
By contrast, Sweden struggled to connect passes in the final third, often resorting to long balls that were easily handled by the Swiss defense.
Isak came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 30th minute when his fierce right-footed effort rattled the crossbar, sending the Stockholm crowd into brief rapture.
Twelve minutes later, he created Sweden’s best chance of the night, squaring an inch-perfect pass across goal for Gyökeres, who inexplicably fired wide from just a few yards out.
Isak threw his arms in disbelief, and the missed opportunity summed up Sweden’s night — plenty of intent, but little end product.
The first half ended goalless, though it was clear Switzerland had the upper hand. Murat Yakin’s side dominated possession and dictated play through Xhaka and Djibril Sow, while Sweden’s midfield trio failed to gain control. Tomasson’s side emerged for the second half looking more organized but still struggled to build rhythm.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 65th minute when Sow was brought down by Alexander Bernhardsson inside the box. Referee Anthony Taylor immediately pointed to the spot, and Xhaka calmly converted, sending Johansson the wrong way to put Switzerland 1–0 up.
As the game drifted toward its conclusion, Tomasson made a series of substitutions — bringing on Jesper Holm, Emil Svensson, and Anton Saletros — but the changes made little difference. Sweden remained stagnant in attack, while Switzerland comfortably saw out the game with disciplined defending and well-timed possession spells.
In stoppage time, Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi sealed the win after his low strike deflected off Atalanta defender Isak Hien and trickled past Johansson. Boos echoed around the Strawberry Arena as the final whistle blew.
Isak, who left the pitch with his head down, embodied the disappointment of a nation. The missed Gyökeres chance may haunt Sweden for weeks to come, and with a crucial qualifier against Kosovo looming on October 13, the pressure on Tomasson — and his misfiring attack — has never been higher.
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