Iceland quelled as Swedish preparations start

Sweden geared up for their UEFA EURO 2012 campaign with a victory in Gothenburg against a dogged Iceland side in the first of their two warm-up games.

The home side, who defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in their final Group E game to secure automatic qualification to Poland and Ukraine, seemed to have continued that form as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Ola Toivonen put them two up in the first 15 minutes. Kolbeinn Sigthórsson pulled one back for Iceland before the interval before late goals from the hosts' Christian Wilhelmsson and Hallgrímur Jónasson ended an entertaining encounter.

The game was just two minutes old when Markus Rosenberg and Sebastian Larsson linked up down the right and the latter's cross was volleyed in emphatically by Ibrahimović. Twelve minutes later the AC Milan forward turned creator, selling a dummy to the Icelandic defence and firing in a low cross which Toivonen accepted gratefully to turn in.

It was all Sweden at that stage as Rasmus Elm anchored the midfield with an assured air allowing Ibrahimović, Toivonen and Rosenberg freedom upfield while Larsson and left-back Behrang Safari provided plenty of threat down the flanks. Iceland, however, exposed a chink in the Swedish armour 29 minutes in as Sigthórsson shook off Olof Mellberg to flick Ólafur Skúlason's cross expertly into the corner of Andreas Isaksson's goal.

Coach Erik Hamrén rang the changes at the interval as the early rhythm of Sweden's play was lost but substitutes Pontus Wernbloom and Wilhelmsson created the opening to restore the home side's two-goal advantage with ten minutes remaining as the latter volleyed past Hannes Halldórsson. The win was secured for the home side but Iceland had the last word as Jónasson once again profited from loose marking to rise unchallenged and head in an added-time goal from a corner.

Sweden will face Serbia on 5 June in their final warm-up game before they face co-hosts Ukraine on 11 June in their opening Group D game.