Three Lions: Confident semi-final entry against Sweden

England won confidently 2-0 (1-0) against staid Sweden on Saturday afternoon in a long-winded quarter-final. While the Scandinavians missed their first semi-final appearance since 1994, the English made it to the last four for the first time in 28 years. Hosts Russia or Croatia await in Moscow on Wednesday.

Both goals for the physically weaker Brits came from headers against the Swedish defensive bulwark, which was not strong this time. Harry Maguire (30th) gave the English the lead, Dele Alli (59th) made the preliminary decision, also because goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a brilliant save against Viktor Claesson (2nd) and Marcus Berg (0st) shortly after the 62-71 .

England captain Kane, who has scored in every World Cup game so far and is comfortably leading the top scorers list with six goals, remained goalless for the first time in Russia. The Three Lions fans didn't care at all, they celebrated a huge victory party in Samara - even if the previous game had been a tough one.

Both teams started very cautiously, safety was a priority on both sides. In addition, many players initially visibly struggled with their nervousness, so that the 39.991 spectators hardly saw any successful moves. The Swedes also managed to take the dreaded pace away from the young English team's game through their usual meticulous defensive work. A warning shot from Harry Kane (19th) was all the Lions managed in the first half hour.

The respect of team manager Gareth Southgate's team was great; they wanted to avoid an early "lucky punch" from the Swedes at all costs. They then managed it themselves. After a corner from Ashley Young, Maguire prevailed in a header duel with Sweden playmaker Emil Forsberg and rammed the ball into the goal. For the 25-year-old Leicester City defender, who had been rooting for the British as a fan at the European Championships in France two years ago, it was the first goal in his eleventh international match - and the eighth of ten goals for England, after one Standard situation fell.

The Swedes then had a hard time conceding a goal and even their strict defensive assignment was temporarily lost. Raheem Sterling had a great chance to make it 2-0 before the break, the attacker from champions Manchester City wasted the ball in the 45th minute, completely free in front of goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

In the second half, coach Janne Andersson's team, which had previously only had one touch of the ball in the English penalty area, got off to a lightning start. Pickford parried the header from ex-Hamburg player Marcus Berg (47th) brilliantly.

But the Swedes were too limited in terms of play to be able to put the English under serious pressure. The desired scenario from the round of 65 could no longer happen: somehow score a goal and then put it in the back. Leipzig's Forsberg, who scored the winning goal against Switzerland, was substituted after just XNUMX minutes.

At the latest after the two missed chances after the 2-0 lead, the Scandinavians gradually lost their physical tension, they appeared tired and drained - and were miles away from a successful comeback.

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Three Lions: Confident semi-final entry against Sweden

The Three Lions remain in the hunt for the title: The young English team led by captain Harry Kane allows the football motherland to continue to dream of their second World Cup triumph after 1966.

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