Sweden and Denmark both draw on positives

"I would rather win 2-1 than draw 0-0," Sweden coach Erik Hamrén had said when contemplating the risks of conceding an away goal before the first leg of his team's play-off tie against Denmark. That is exactly what he got, with counterpart Morten Olsen also happy enough: "We're never content to lose, but we can be satisfied with 1-2." Add into the mix maiden international goals for Emil Forsberg and Nicolai Jørgensen and there was plenty of reason to be positive at the Friends Arena on Saturday night.

Hamrén and Sweden could, of course, have put themselves in an even better position for the return leg on Tuesday. The Swedes came close to finding the net several times before Forsberg did so on the stroke of half-time, Zlatan Ibrahimović adding a second soon after the break. Sweden suddenly looked more comfortable and confident than at any stage during this qualifying campaign.

At the back, Hamrén's side showed the stability their coach has been striving for; up front, Marcus Berg and Ibrahimoviç were showered with opportunities. Visiting keeper Kasper Schmeichel stood firm, though, until Forsberg met Mikael Lustig's to give Sweden a deserved lead.

"We feel satisfied," the Leipzig man, who described his goal as the realisation of a "lifelong dream", told UEFA.com after the final whistle. "Of course 2–0 is better than 2–1, but we played a good game. We combined well and we created chances."

Forsberg also won Sweden the penalty which Ibrahimoviç converted in the 50th minute. At that stage, Jørgensen's only involvement had been a watching brief from the bench. Four minutes later, the København striker was brought on to bolster the attack. He did just that late on, fellow substitute Yussuf Poulsen teeing him up with ten minutes left.

"You need a bit of luck when coming on as a substitute and I had that today," said the 24-year old. "It was a great feeling, my first goal for Denmark. It means a lot to me so I'm a happy man."

Denmark can now look forward to the backing of a full house in Copenhagen. Sweden, though, will be confident of creating chances. Only one team will still have reason to be positive come Tuesday night.