Sweden look to end Danish interest
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Article summary
Sweden coach Lars Lagerbäck hopes to knock Denmark out of the Group F running after naming his squad for next Saturday's rematch with their Nordic rivals.
Article body
Sweden coach Lars Lagerbäck hopes to knock Denmark out of the Group F running after naming his squad for next Saturday's rematch with their Nordic rivals.
Decisive blow
Top of the section on 18 points, Lagerbäck feels his side could end their old rivals' hopes of qualifying for UEFA EURO 2008™ with a win at the Råsunda Stadium. "If we beat Denamrk then they're probably out of the running considering the difference in points and the amount of games left," he said. Tobias Linderoth, Fredrik Ljungberg and Anders Svensson are all fit but goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson remains a doubt. "That's why we have picked 23 players instead of 22," explained Lagerbäck. "We're not sure how fit Andreas will be. Well cope without him as Rami [Shaaban] has shown he's more than capable of deputising."
Tight group
The battle for the top two spots in Group F promises to go to the wire with Sweden two points ahead of Northern Ireland with Spain a further points behind and Denmark five more adrift but with a game in hand. Sweden were awarded a 3-0 win in the corresponding fixture in Copenhagen after the qualifier was abandoned in the closing stages with the teams level at 3-3. He had awarded a penalty to Sweden and given a red card to Denmark's Christian Poulsen when a spectator came on to the pitch and assaulted him.
Sweden squad
Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Manchester City FC), Rami Shaaban (Fredrikstad FK), Johan Wiland (IF Elfsborg).
Defenders: Petter Hansson (SC Heerenveen), Matias Concha (VfL Bochum 1848), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos FC), Daniel Majstorovic (FC Basel 1893), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa FC), Erik Edman (Stade Rennais FC).
Midfielders: Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Göteborg), Daniel Andersson (Malmö FF), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham United FC), Tobias Linderoth (FC København), Christian Wilhelmsson (Bolton Wanderers FC), Anders Svensson (IF Elfsborg), Kennedy Bakircioglü (AFC Ajax), Dusan Djuric (Halmstads BK), Kim Källström (Olympique Lyonnais).
Forwards: Marcus Allbäck (FC København), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen), Zlatan Ibrahimović (FC Internazionale Milano), Johan Elmander (Toulouse FC), Rade Prica (Aalborg BK).