Sweden Faces World Cup Qualifying Exit After Shock Loss to Kosovo
Sweden’s aspirations for World Cup qualification took a significant blow following a surprising 1-0 defeat to Kosovo in Gothenburg. This loss completed a shocking double for Kosovo over Sweden, leaving the latter struggling in Group B.
Sweden’s World Cup Qualifying Challenges
Fisnik Asllani scored the decisive goal for Kosovo in the first half. This outcome has energized Kosovo’s chances of at least securing a playoff position. Meanwhile, Sweden remains at the bottom of Group B, with just one point.
Player Performance and Group Standings
Sweden’s lineup featured Alexander Isak, a £125 million forward, alongside Viktor Gyökeres. Despite their big investment, Isak could not capitalize on his opportunities, continuing to recover his form after transferring from Newcastle to Liverpool over the summer.
- Match Location: Gothenburg
- Score: Kosovo 1, Sweden 0
- Group Position: Sweden at the bottom with one point
Other Group Updates
In the wider context of the qualifying matches, Switzerland, the group leaders, also faced a setback, drawing 0-0 against Slovenia in Ljubljana. This result marked their first dropped points of the campaign.
France, leading another group, had a rough night as they drew 2-2 against Iceland in Reykjavik. Didier Deschamps’ team sought a victory to secure qualification. Despite being ahead twice, they could not hold onto the lead.
In Ukraine’s match, they managed a 2-1 victory over Azerbaijan in Krakow, further complicating France’s qualification hopes.
Other Matches of Interest
Germany and Slovakia remain tied at the top of their group. Slovakia achieved a modest 2-0 win over Luxembourg thanks to goals from Adam Obert and Ivan Schranz. Additionally, in Wales’s group, North Macedonia settled for a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan in Skopje.
The outcome of these matches emphasizes the competitive nature of the World Cup qualifiers, where every point is crucial for teams striving for a spot in the tournament.
