Sweden will face Portugal in the European Under-21 Championship final after Hakan Ericson’s side produced perhaps their best performance of the tournament to sweep aside much-fancied Denmark in this Scandinavian derby in Prague.
The former Manchester City striker John Guidetti scored one and created another to help take Sweden into their first final in this competition since 1992. There they will take on Portugal, who thrashed Germany in the day’s other semi-final, and they will do so with a certain amount of confidence. Sweden held Rui Jorge’s side to a 1-1 draw in the group stages and here they ran out emphatic victors over the Group A winners.
Denmark dominated the ball in the early exchanges, with Sweden pressing high, but it was a scrappy opening. Denmark striker Yussuf Poulsen had a goal ruled out for handball as he bundled home from a corner and Sweden’s right-back, Victor Lindelof, cut inside before shooting tamely at goal.
The game came to life, though, midway through the first half. Simon Tibbling sent a cross looping into the area and Isaac Kiese Thelin tumbled under pressure from Alexander Scholz. The referee, Sergei Karasev, was well placed and pointed to the spot. Guidetti did the rest, sending Jakob Busk the wrong way.
Four minutes later Sweden doubled the lead. Kiese Thelin beautifully released Guidetti down the left for a three v two break. He rolled the ball square and, thanks to Jonas Knudsen’s slip, Tibbling had the space to stroke the ball home from just inside the area.
The Groningen midfielder, who had scored the 89th-minute equaliser against Portugal in the group stage that took Sweden through to the last four, went close early in the second half but Denmark dragged themselves back into the game just after the hour. Sweden failed to clear a corner and in the scramble Lindelof cleared straight to Uffe Bech, who poked the ball past Patrik Carlgren.
That should have sparked a comeback from Jess Thorup’s side but the Danes struggled to further stretch the Sweden goalkeeper. Jannik Vestergaard failed to control an inswinging cross with the goal at his mercy and Pione Sisto shimmied inside before shooting straight at Carlgren, yet there was no sense of panic in the Sweden backline.
The same could not be said for the Danish rearguard and with seven minutes to go Sweden put the game beyond their reach. Nicolaj Thomsen hesitated horribly and Robin Quaison nipped in before tucking the ball past Busk. In the fifth minute of injury time Oscar Hiljemark slid home the fourth to add salt to Danish wounds.
