New Sweden manager Graham Potter has issued a rallying cry to his squad after a demoralising 4-1 defeat to Switzerland in his first match in charge, telling them to ensure they 'celebrate like Switzerland in March'.
A Night to Forget in Geneva
The heavy loss in Geneva on Monday night highlighted the scale of the task facing the former Chelsea boss. The result effectively seals Switzerland's place at next summer's World Cup finals, while Sweden's qualifying nightmare continues. The Swedes had taken just one point from their opening four qualifying matches, a run that led to the dismissal of previous head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Injury-Hit Side Collapses in Second Half
Potter was parachuted in on a short-term deal to revive their fading hopes, but his squad was severely hampered by injuries. The team was missing key players including Viktor Gyokeres, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, and Victor Lindelof. Star striker Alexander Isak was only fit enough for a place on the bench.
Breel Embolo fired the hosts ahead after just 12 minutes, but Sweden showed resilience to level the score through Benjamin Nygren in the 33rd minute. However, the second half saw a complete collapse. A Granit Xhaka penalty on the hour mark and a goal from Dan Ndoye put Switzerland in a commanding position, despite Potter introducing Isak from the bench. The defeat was compounded in stoppage time when Johan Manzambi added a fourth for the Swiss with a fine turn and shot.
Looking Ahead to the Play-Offs
Speaking after the match, Potter acknowledged the tough result but looked to the future. 'The result is tough for us, Switzerland start well, they are a good team, they started well,' he said. 'We hung in well and got better, scored a really good goal. Then we have a big chance to make it 2-1. Sometimes it's these small margins that have to go your way.'
He added, 'It's not a night we're enjoying. But we have to make sure we celebrate like they celebrated tonight when we get to March. We have to move forward. We're not at their level right now.'
Sweden's group stage campaign concludes against Slovenia on Tuesday. Their attention will then turn to the World Cup play-offs in March, for which they have qualified thanks to their Nations League performances. Sweden will be unseeded in the draw, meaning they are likely to face a more difficult opponent as they make one last push for a place in the finals.
