Final in sight for Sweden and England

Both England and Sweden will be attempting to end a long wait for international success when they meet in Gothenburg in the first semi-final of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

• England claimed the last of their two U21 titles 25 years ago, defeating Spain 3-0 on aggregate over two legs in the 1984 final. The years since have largely been barren, with no title at any since a side including Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Sol Campbell and Robbie Fowler triumphed on home soil in the European U18 Championship in 1993. This time round hopes are high following wins against Finland (2-1) and Spain (2-0), coupled with a 1-1 draw against Germany, taking Stuart Pearce's side through as Group B winners to face Sweden. They will hope to fare better than two years ago when they went out to the Dutch hosts after a 32-penalty shoot-out.

• Sweden, meanwhile, have never won a UEFA men's competition, losing to Italy 2-1 on aggregate over two legs off the 1992 U21 final. The Scandinavian side last reached this stage five years ago, losing on penalties to Serbia and Montenegro in Oberhausen after a 1-1 draw. A measure of revenge was exacted on Matchday 3 of this competition, a 3-1 win against Serbia in Malmo taking the hosts into the last four as Group A runners-up following a 5-1 win against Belarus and 2-1 defeat by Italy.

• These teams last met in a friendly international in Kristianstad on 30 March 2004, playing out a 2-2 draw. Steven Taylor – ruled out of these finals by an achilles injury – was in the England side, who rescued a draw thanks to Michael Chopra's 90th-minute equaliser. Dean Ashton (14) had given England the lead, but strikes from Per Nilsson (58) and Johan Andersson (70) turned the tide.

• On the competitive front the teams have met four times over the years with England winning two, Sweden one and the other drawn.

• The full breakdown of those past competitive meetings is:
2000 Qualifying Group 5
04.09.1998, Sweden 0-2 England, Sundsvall
04.06.1999, England 3-0 Sweden, Huddesfield

1990 Qualifying Group 2
18.10.1988, England 1-1 Sweden, Coventry
05.09.1989, Sweden 1-0 England, Uppsala

• England had the better of the pair's fixtures in qualifying for the 2000 competition, goals from Jamie Carragher (9) and a Frank Lampard penalty (87) securing victory in Sundsvall in the opening round of matches in Group 5 in September 1998. Nine months later Carl Cort's double (29, 79) either side of a Richard Cresswell strike (44) secured a 3-0 success in Huddersfield. England went on to finish third in Group B at the final tournament in Slovakia, Sweden failing to progress from qualifying Group 5 having finished fourth in the five-team section.

• Sweden, however, had the better of the pair's contests in qualifying for the 1990 event, earning a 1-1 draw in Coventry after Klas Ingesson (67) cancelled out David White's 30th-minute opener. Hans Eklund scored the only goal in the 30th minute of the reverse fixture in Uppsala.

Semi-final records
This is England's eighth U21 semi-final, with two of the previous ties ending in victory. Their full record is:
20.06.2007, Netherlands 1-1 England (13-12 penalties), Heereveen
13.04.1988, France 4-2 England, Besancon
27.04.1988, England 2-2 France, London
09.04.1986, Italy 2-0 England, Pisa
23.04.1986, England 1-1 Italy, Swindon
18.04.1984, England 3-1 Italy, Manchester
02.05.1984, Italy 1-0 England, Florence
19.04.1982, Scotland 0-1 England, Glasgow
28.04.1982, England 1-1 Scotland, Manchester
16.04.1980, England 1-2 East Germany, Sheffield
23.04.1980, East Germany 1-0 England, Jena
19.04.1978, Yugoslavia 2-1 England, Novi Sad
02.05.1978, England 1-1 Yugoslavia, Manchester

• Sweden are in the last four for the fourth time having come out on top in one of their three past semi-finals. Their full record is:
05.06.2004, Sweden 1-1 Serbia and Montenegro (5-6 penalties), Oberhausen
22.04.1992, Scotland 0-0 Sweden, Aberdeen
29.04.1992, Sweden 1-0 Scotland, Orebro
25.04.1990, Sweden 1-1 USSR, Vaxjo
09.05.1990, USSR 2-0 Sweden, Simferopol

• At senior level England have not beaten Sweden since a 3-1 win in London on 22 May 1968. Of the 12 subsequent meetings, four have ended in Swedish wins with eight draws. Overall England have five victories, Sweden six with nine draws.

• In contrast to Sweden – who have never reached the last four of a UEFA European Championship at U17 or U19 level – several members of the England squad have been involved in semi-finals at youth level over the years.

• Four members of the England squad were in Heerenveen two years ago as Pearce's side went down 13-12 on penalties to the Netherlands following a 1-1 draw in a shoot-out that featured 32 kicks – a record for UEFA club competition. James Milner and Mark Noble both played all 120 minutes while Nedum Onouha missed extra time after limping off and Joe Hart was an unused substitute. Milner and Noble both scored two penalties apiece.

• Noble also tasted semi-final disappointment at the European U17 Championship in 2004, collecting a last-minute red card as he conceded the penalty from which Cesc Fàbregas gave Spain a 2-1 win. Fraizer Campbell and Richard Stearman were also in the England side for the fixture in Tours, with Joe Lewis among the substitutes.

• Martin Cranie and Milner were in the England team beaten 3-2 on penalties by Portugal in Viseu on 14 May 2003 after their European U17 Championship semi-final had finished 2-2, Milner scoring England's second goal and also finding the net in the shoot-out. Andrew Taylor was also in the squad.

• Four England players have been on the winning side in a UEFA European Championship semi-final. Andrew Taylor, Noble and captain Cranie helped the U19s overcome Serbia and Montenegro 3-1 in Lurgan on 26 July 2005. The final, however, ended in defeat by the same scoreline to France.

• Danny Rose has also experienced semi-final success as part of the England side that beat France 1-0 in the 2007 European U17 Championship, although once again John Peacock's side went on to lose by the same scoreline against Spain in the final thanks to a Bojan Krkić strike.

• Cranie was captain of an England team that beat Sweden 1-0 in a European U19 Championship Elite round Group 1 game on 28 March 2005; Andrew Taylor again an unused substitute.

• England's Arsenal FC pair Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott will be hoping for a change of fortune having already been on the losing side in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, 2-1 to Chelsea FC on 18 April, and the UEFA Champions League, 4-1 on aggregate against Manchester United FC on 29 April and 5 May, this season.

• Jack Rodwell is the only other England player to have appeared in a semi-final this season. The 18-year-old came on in the 70th minute and helped Everton FC defeat Manchester United FC on penalties.

• Six Sweden players were involved in the last four of the 2008 Swedish Cup.

• Emil Johansson's Hammarby lost 1-0 to Rasmus Elm's Kalmar FF after extra time in one semi-final.

• Suspended for the game against England, Pontus Wernbloom scored twice in IFK Göteborg's 3-0 semi-final win at Enköpings IF, and also scored the last penalty as his side overcame Kalmar 5-4 on spot-kicks after a 0-0 draw in the final. Mattias Bjärsmyr, Gustav Svensson and Robin Söder were also members of that triumphant IFK squad.

• Pearce will also be hoping for a change of fortune in international semi-finals. That 2007 defeat with the U21s aside, his playing career is perhaps best remembered for two games against Germany: the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-final, where he missed England's fourth kick in a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat by West Germany after a 1-1 draw in Turin, and the meeting between the sides at the same stage of EURO '96™, Pearce converting his penalty this time though England still lost, going down 6-5 on spot-kicks following another 1-1 draw.

• The England manager was never on the winning side against Sweden in an international as a player, taking part in two goalless draws in qualifying for the 1990 World Cup and losing 2-1 in the final Group 1 game as England were eliminated from EURO '92.

• Sweden's joint-coach Tommy Söderberg masterminded a 2-1 home win against England in UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifying on 5 September 1998 and also guided his side to a goalless draw at Wembley on 5 June 2000. Sharing the coaching duties with Lars Lagerbäck, Sweden drew 1-1 with England in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup and also oversaw a 1-1 friendly draw in Manchester in November 2001 and a 1-0 Sweden win in Gothenburg on 31 March 2004.

• England defeated Spain 2-0 at the Gamla Ullevi in the group stage and should feel at home in Gothenburg. Due to its thriving trade with the British, Gothenburg was known as "Lilla London" (Little London) in the 18th century.

• Sweden's Mattias Bjärsmyr, Robin Söder, Gustav Svensson and the suspended Pontus Wernbloom all play their club football at the Gamla Ullevi for IFK Göteborg.

• Sweden left-back Martin Olsson plays his club football in England with Blackburn Rovers FC, whom he joined from Högaborgs BK in January 2006. He made nine Premier League appearances for the club in 2008/09 and scored his first goal in a 1-0 victory against an Everton FC team that included England's Jack Rodwell in the League Cup third round on 24 September 2008.

Squad news
England
• Pearce made ten changes to the side that beat Spain for the 1-1 draw against Germany. Left-winger Adam Johnson was the only player to retain his place in the starting XI, and responded with a performance which earned him the Carlsberg Man of the Match award.

• Mark Noble and Micah Richards received the award respectively in the victories against Finland and Spain.

• Scott Loach, Andrew Taylor, Richard Stearman, Andrew Driver and Danny Rose all made their first appearances in the competition. As did goalkeeper Joe Lewis who became the 23rd and final squad member to feature when he replaced Loach at half-time.

• Rose was booked and is within one booking of a suspension along with Hart, Richards and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

• Agbonlahor was omitted from the squad for the Germany game after going off in the 39th minute against Spain because of a shin injury.

• Theo Walcott injured his knee after replacing Fraizer Campbell in the 58th minute.

• England finished top of Group B with seven points which meant they did not have to leave their base in Varberg for the semi-final. Stuart Pearce's side were also unbeaten in the 2007 group stage, tallying five points to earn a semi-final against the Netherlands which they lost 13-12 on penalties.

• Goalkeeper Hart joined Birmingham City FC on a one-season loan on Wednesday having lost his place at Manchester City FC following the arrival of Shay Given during the January window.

Sweden
• Sweden fielded the same starting XI for the third match in succession against Serbia, but will be forced to make changes for the semi-final as Emir Bajrami and Pontus Wernbloom are suspended after picking up their second booking of the tournament. Ola Toivonen and Marcus Berg are both one caution away from suspension. Sweden have committed more fouls, 63, than any other team.

• Sweden have no injury worries for the game against England.

• Berg became the highest scorer at a UEFA European U21 Championship final tournament when he took his tally to five with two goals in Tuesday's 3-1 win against Serbia. Toivonen scored Sweden's third and the pair have now combined for seven goals between, the most productive partnership in the tournament.

• FC Groningen striker Berg passed the previous high of four goals in a final tournament, which had been attained by five players: Andrea Pirlo (Italy, 2000), Alberto Gilardino (Italy, 2004), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands, 2006), Maceo Rigters (Netherlands, 2007) and Johan Elmander (Sweden, 2004).

• Berg had become the first player to score a hat-trick in a match at a U21 final tournament when he scored three in Sweden's 5-1 win in their Group A opener against Belarus.

• That had been Berg's first game for the U21s since he played in a 1-1 friendly draw with France on 31 May 2008. He has scored once in seven appearances for the senior Sweden team since then. Prior to this tournament his only previous U21 goal had come in a 4-2 defeat against France on 14 November 2006.

• Sweden are the top scorers in the tournament with nine goals from three matches. They have also conceded more goals than any of the other semi-finalists, four, and are yet to keep a clean sheet.

• Including friendly matches, Sweden have not kept a clean sheet in five games. Their friendly results in 2009 are:
11.02.2009 Italy 1-1 Sweden
27.03.2009 Finland 1-0 Sweden
31.03.2009 Spain 0-0 Sweden
05.06.2009 Sweden 2-1 Poland
09.06.2009 Sweden 2-1 Estonia

• Gabriel Özkan made his competitive U21 debut when he replaced Rasmus Elm with a minute to play against Serbia 

• Elm has more assists, three, than any other player in the tournament. Bajrami, who won Sweden's penalty in the 14th minute against Serbia, is second on two, level with Italy's Sebastian Giovinco and Mesut Özil of Germany.

• England were Berg's pre-tournament favourites. "I had tipped England as the eventual champions, but we'll try to stop them," he said. "They're a very good team; nearly all of them have Premier League experience. I think only one player in the Swedish team [Martin Olsson of Blackburn Rovers] has that. If we can raise our game another few notches we'll give them a really tough match."