Potter's Swedish Debut Ends in Defeat Against Clinical Switzerland
Graham Potter's much-anticipated debut as Sweden manager culminated in a sobering 3-1 defeat against a dominant Swiss side in Geneva. The loss confirms that Sweden will enter the World Cup 2026 qualifying playoffs as an unseeded team, facing the most difficult route possible to next summer's tournament in North America.
Swiss Efficiency Trumps Swedish Resilience
The match began in the worst possible fashion for Potter's new charges. Nottingham Forest winger Dan Ndoye easily created the opening goal, bursting down the right flank before cutting back for Breel Embolo to finish impressively. Sweden, showing signs of the defensive frailties that plagued them before Potter's arrival, had offered little resistance.
However, the team demonstrated the resilience Potter had worked on during their training camp in southern Spain. Against the run of play, Anthony Elanga created Sweden's first meaningful chance, his chipped cross leading to a half-clearance that fell to Benjamin Nygren. The forward took a touch before scoring, marking Sweden's first shot of the Potter era and the first goal Switzerland had conceded in the entire qualifying campaign.
The equaliser transformed the match, with Sweden growing in confidence and even creating a superb opportunity to take the lead before half-time, only for Alexander Bernhardsson to be denied by Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel.
Defensive Error Proves Costly for Sweden
The hard-won parity was shattered just after the hour mark by a moment of defensive calamity. Substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson played a woeful backpass that sold goalkeeper Viktor Johansson short. Embolo pounced and went down under Johansson's challenge, resulting in a penalty award that was upheld by VAR despite appearing harsh.
Granit Xhaka made no mistake from the spot, calmly restoring Switzerland's lead. Potter responded by introducing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak from the bench, but the rustiness from his recent injury layoff was evident as he struggled to make an impact against Switzerland's organised defence.
The home side sealed the victory when the impressive Ndoye ran through to score a deserved goal, with substitute Johan Manzambi adding a late third to compound Sweden's misery.
Playoff Path Confirmed for Potter's Sweden
The result means Switzerland will almost certainly qualify automatically for the World Cup, requiring an improbable six-goal defeat in Kosovo on Tuesday to be denied. For Sweden, the defeat confirms their place in the unseeded section of the playoffs, a consequence of their poor group stage record with just a single point secured before this match.
Potter, who had shown his commitment to the role by conducting his pre-match press conference largely in Swedish and singing the national anthem with passion, now faces the considerable challenge of rebuilding confidence and addressing the defensive vulnerabilities that proved so costly. His task is clear: navigate a difficult playoff path to ensure Sweden's presence at the 2026 World Cup.
