Some way to end this absurdly entertaining Round of 16, eh? Jonathan Wilson’s report from Hampden Park has landed, so off you click. Congratulations to Ukraine, commiserations to Sweden, and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Andriy Shevchenko raises both arms in triumph! His team, who looked dead on their feet during a particularly attritional extra time, are full of energy again as they cavort in celebration! Ukraine will play England in the quarter final in Rome on Saturday night. Swedish coach Jan Andersson wears the look of a man who has just been mugged, which is understandable given the brutal way his Euros have suddenly ended. A quite sensational cross from the left flank by Oleksandr Zinchenko found Arten Dovbyk six yards out. Dovbyk couldn’t miss. He stooped, he conquered. What a finish!
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EXTRA TIME, FULL TIME: Sweden 1-2 Ukraine
Not enough added time for Sweden, though! The whistle goes, and Artem Dovbyk has booked a date in Rome on Saturday night with England!
ET 30 min +4: There’s plenty of time to be added on, though, so long were the celebrations, followed by VAR check.
ET 30 min +3: Nope! The goal stands! Lindelof played Dovbyk on. Inches in it! Sweden are forced to kick off and launch a hail Mary!
ET 30 min +2: Dovbyk is booked for ripping his shirt off in celebration. Though is it all in vain, because there’s a VAR check for offside!
GOAL! Sweden 1-2 Ukraine (Dovbyk 120+1)
Zinchenko crosses from tight on the left touchline. It’s a hell of a cross! Dovbyk stoops to steer an unstoppable, unmissable header past Olsen and into the net! Hampden roars!
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ET 30 min: Bezus is good to continue. There will be three added minutes. And in the first ...
ET 29 min: Bezus goes down in the Swedish box after being shoved lightly in the back by Helander. He looks to have hurt his shoulder. It’s been 30 extra minutes of complete carnage.
ET 28 min: Bezus comes on for Sydorchuk.
ET 27 min: Malinovskyi whistles a snapshot past Olsen’s left-hand post. The keeper always had it covered.
ET 26 min: A free kick for Ukraine out on the left. Everyone lines up on the edge of Sweden’s box. Malinovskyi goes direct for goal from the best part of 30 yards. His low drive deflects left to Zinchenko, who can’t get a shot away.
ET 25 min: Ukraine have upped the tempo, hoping to press home their numerical advantage and get this done without a shootout.
ET 23 min: Sydorchuk makes good down the inside right and backheels, in the hope of finding Karavaev, racing into the box. The ball’s loose. Karavaev clatters into Berg, who cops a knee in the face as the pair accidentally collide. On come the physios, for more ice-pack action.
ET 21 min: What a miss! Malinovskyi dinks down the middle to spring Dovbyk into the box. He’s one on one with Olsen ... and lifts clumsily over the bar! Dreadful stuff ... though his blushes are partially spared when the flag goes up correctly for offside.
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ET 19 min: A simple ball down the middle nearly opens Sweden up. Helander should clear, but fresh-air swipes and slips on the edge of his own box, nearly letting Tsygankov in. Helander recovers just in time, but hearts were in Swedish mouths there.
ET 17 min: A slow and scrappy start to the second period of extra time, as we move inexorably towards a shootout. Here’s John Davis: “Would disagree slightly about the red. It’s clearly a sending off as he endangered his opponent, but I have some sympathy in that he won the ball which was a decent distance away and obviously wasn’t aiming at the man. However, definite red - ended the other lad’s tournament and was unwittingly reckless. You would have got hammered until a few years ago for NOT going in for that. Red cards for tackles like that should have been brought in years ago and saved a few careers. I’m sure I’ve contradicted myself there at least twice.”
Ukraine get the second half underway. Yarmolenko’s race is run, so on comes Dovbyk.
EXTRA TIME, HALF TIME: Sweden 1-1 Ukraine
We’re just 15 minutes from penalty kicks. Can Ukraine press home their one-man advantage?
ET 15 min +5: Now Yarmolenko is down. This is brutal.
ET 15 min +4: Kryvtsov turns his ankle and is the latest player to require some attention. For various reasons, both of these teams are currently running on fumes. More good news for England, although on that subject, here’s Alex Amponsah: “Wasn’t England supposed to have an advantage in 2018 due to Croatia going to penalties in the previous game? That turned out well.”
ET 15 min +3: Forsberg skies an awful effort from the edge of the Ukraine box.
ET 15 min +1: The first of three added minutes is taken up by Krafth’s treatment. On the touchline, a poignant scene as poor Besedin, held up by two members of the backroom staff, head bowed and in pain, gets a hug from his manager Andriy Shevchenko.
ET 15 min: Zinchenko has a shot from a tight angle on the left. The ball pings off Krafth’s temple, knocking the poor chap into next week. He eventually sits up, but looks extremely groggy.
ET 13 min: As play goes on, Besedin is helped gingerly around the perimeter. A huge ice pack on his knee. He’ll not be playing against England if Ukraine get through.
ET 11 min: Danielson had some nerve complaining about that red card. Besedin’s knee hyperextended under the pressure and he can’t continue. Tsygankov comes on in his place. Meanwhile the Swedes react to Danielson’s dismissal by sacrificing Olsson for Helander.
RED CARD: Danielson (Sweden)
ET 9 min: VAR runs a check. The referee goes over to the screen. It’s a horrible challenge, studs high on Besedin’s leg, bending it awkwardly. He seems affronted when he’s told to do one, but that’s the correct decision. A dreadful challenge.
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ET 8 min: Danielson sticks out a clumsy boot and bends Besedin’s leg a little. Actually, quite a lot. That looks like a red-card offence, but Danielson only sees yellow.
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ET 7 min: Quaison, Claesson and Berg come on for Kulusevski, Isak and Larsson.
ET 6 min: Sweden are preparing a triple substitution. This could take a while.
ET 4 min: Another change for Ukraine, as Stepanenko makes way for Makarenko.
ET 2 min: Ukraine pass the ball around in slow-motion. Sweden are happy to sit back in two banks of four.
Both teams have knocked back their energy bevvies; both have psyched themselves up with a huddle. Sweden get the first half of extra time underway. Ukraine have swapped Yaremchuk with Besedin.
FULL TIME: Sweden 1-1 Ukraine
Good news for England: whoever they play in Rome on Saturday night will have an extra 30 minutes of tournament football in their legs. Extra time, here we come.
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90 min: Nothing comes of the set piece. We’re two minutes away from extra time!
89 min: Krafth wedges a first-time long ball down the inside-right channel. He’s released Kulusevski! He brings the ball down, and aims for the bottom right ... only for Zabarnyi to stick out a telescopic leg and deflect out for a corner!
87 min: Neither team seems willing to take a risk. Everyone’s settled for extra time, by the looks of it.
85 min: Forsberg is booked for accidentally brushing Kryvtsov in the face. He’s righteously piqued about that decision.
83 min: Augustinsson trudges off, to be replaced by Bengtsson ... and then Lustig makes way for Krafth.
82 min: Augustinsson goes down with cramp already. Lustig was struggling a couple of minutes ago, too. Extra time could be a journey.
80 min: Yarmolenko is booked for yammering away at the referee.
79 min: Sweden suddenly pick up the pace a little, Forsberg and Kulusevski very nearly one-twoing their way clear down the middle. The Ukraine back line refuses to yield.
77 min: The tempo drops considerably. Both teams are perhaps considering the looming prospect of extra time, and conserving energy accordingly.
75 min: Stepanenko has a belt from distance. Ekdal blocks. Ukraine go back to stroking it around the back, making Sweden do all the chasing.
74 min: Ukraine respond with some sterile possession, which is better than no possession.
72 min: Sweden are bossing this now. A lot of possession, a lot of passes. A long period of probing in Ukraine’s final third comes to an end when Lustig impatiently crosses from the right to nobody in particular.
70 min: Kulusevski is booked for a cynical tug on Zinchenko.
69 min: Lindelof makes down the middle like Beckenbauer in his prime, then feeds Forsberg down the left. Forsberg glides infield, evades a couple of blue shirts, and sends a power curler, meant for the top right, flush off the bar! So close to a stunner!
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67 min: From Sweden’s corner, Ukraine break upfield, and Yarmolenko shoots from just inside the box. His sidefoot towards the bottom right is easily gathered by Olsen.
66 min: Forsberg forces a corner down the left. He takes it himself, and takes it long. The ball finds Kulusevski on the other flank. He enters the box, drops a shoulder, and aims powerfully for the top left. Bushchan tips brilliantly over for another corner. Fine save.
65 min: Malinovskyi clatters into the back of Olsson, and is fortunate to escape a booking.
63 min: Sydorchuk has time and space near the right-hand corner flag, having been found by a left-wing cross that evaded everyone in the box. He loops, hoping to find the head of Yarmolenko in the middle, but it’s an easy pick for Olsen. Good luck predicting which team will score the next goal. This is good fun.
61 min: Ukraine make the first change of the evening, replacing Shaparenko with Malinovskyi.
60 min: Sweden should be leading. Ekdal wedges a lovely defence-splitter down the middle to release Isak. The young star draws Bushchan but lifts his shot wide right. He might have been offside, but it would have been mighty close, and one for the old VAR.
59 min: Forsburg finds Augustinsson down the left. Augustinsson crosses low and hard. Larsson is waiting to tap home, only for Sydorchuk to hook clear, just in time. A good, open game, this!
56 min again: Now it’s Sweden’s turn to hit the woodwork! Isak counters down the right wing at speed and drifts infield. He’s got Forsberg to his left. He feeds him. Forsberg opens his body and shapes a shot around Bushchan, towards the bottom-right corner ... and off the base of the post! Goal kick. In a parallel universe, it’s now 2-2.
56 min: Yarmolenko dribbles down the right, causing havoc once more. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Sydorchuk, who curls powerfully towards the top-right corner. The ball twangs off the outside of the post. Goal kick. Had that been on target, Olsen wasn’t getting anywhere near it.
54 min: A bit of space for Larsson, 25 yards out. He drags a poor shot well wide of the bottom left.
53 min: Yarmolenko continues to cause Sweden problems, grooving his way down the right and crossing. Sweden only half clear. Shaparenko tries to return the ball with interest but shanks weakly wide left from 20 yards.
52 min: Then suddenly one long clearance nearly undoes Sweden. Yarmolenko threatens to latch onto it and bear down on goal, but his plan is scuppered by Olsen, who races from his box and blooters clear.
51 min: Sweden are throwing a lot of people forward. Forsberg is seeing a lot of the ball. Ukraine are holding their shape.
49 min: Yarmolenko whistles a low cross in from the right. Danielson does very well to clear with opponents lurking.
47 min: Sweden spend the first couple of minutes of the second half knocking the ball around at a notably higher tempo.
Sweden get the second half at Hampden underway. No changes yet.
Half-time advertisement. “This link between Will Ferrell and Sweden explains his antipathy towards Norway,” writes Bob O’Hara. “We’re still waiting for the pizza he said he ordered us.”
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HALF TIME: Sweden 1-1 Ukraine
Mind you, that doesn’t stop the referee blowing for half time three seconds early.
44 min: This game took a while to get going, but the period since the opening goal has been good fun.
GOAL! Sweden 1-1 Ukraine (Forsberg 43)
Out of nothing, the Swedes are level! Forsberg latches onto a loose ball, 30 yards out. He takes a stride down the inside-left channel and aims for the right-hand side of the goal. His shot takes a deflection off the heel of Zabarnyi, and flies into the top left!
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41 min: Kulusevski drives into the Ukraine box from the right. He clatters straight into Matviyenko. He asks for a penalty, but neither referee nor VAR shows interest, and nor should they.
40 min: Sweden push Ukraine back. They ping a few passes together, but never look like breaking into the box. Suddenly Sydorchuk intercepts and zips up the park. A poor pass towards Yarmolenko, out to the right, saves a light-at-the-back Sweden.
38 min: “I think you understate the quality of Yarmolenko’s outside of the boot assist,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Zidane would’ve been proud. At first glance it looked like a defensive error by Sweden, but the absurdity of that pass would’ve caught anyone off guard. A piece of art.”
36 min: Olsson dribbles with purpose down the middle, but finds there’s no route into the box. He slips wide right to Larsson, who overhits a cross to nobody. Sweden come again, down the same flank. Larsson’s cross this time is weak and straight into the hands of Bushchan at the near post.
34 min: Yarmolenko is seeing an awful lot of the ball. He races down the right again, but there’s nobody in blue keeping pace with him and he’s forced to turn tail. After a slow start, Ukraine are now on top.
32 min: Yarmolenko is barged over as he makes good down the right. Free kick. It’s looped long and only half cleared by Ekdal. Yarmolenko - who has by now swapped flanks - tries to replicate Zinchenko’s volley, but sends his effort high over the bar.
30 min: The resulting corner comes to nothing, easily claimed by Bushchan. “Will Ferrell has been a football fan his whole life,” reports Mary Waltz. “He was a decent High School player, he is a part owner of the LAFC MLS side and he has promoted both the US men’s and women’s team so he is not just a parvenue looking for attention. The Swedish connection is through his wife as previously stated.”
29 min: A free kick for Sweden out on the right. Larsson shapes to loop it towards the gaggle of players on the edge of the box, but whips a trick shot towards the bottom right. Bushchan is wise to the grift, getting across to tip around the post. What an effort, and what on-point goalkeeping!
GOAL! Sweden 0-1 Ukraine (Zinchenko 27)
All of a sudden, Hampden erupts! Shaparenko sprays a lovely diagonal pass towards Yarmolenko on the right. Yarmolenko drops a shoulder and scoops a cross towards Zinchenko, romping in from the left. Zinchenko meets the dropping ball and creams a shot towards the bottom right. Olsen gets a hand to it, but is beaten by the pace. A lovely goal!
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25 min: It’s not an energy piece, this. Yesterday suddenly seems a lifetime ago. “Jim Broadbent is a dead ringer for the king of Sweden in that video,” notes Johannes in Gothenburg. I am the Inadvertent Weaver.
23 min: Hampden is fairly quiet right now. No drama, no roar.
21 min: A little bit of sterile possession for Ukraine in the middle of the park. “Which match have you obliterated from your memory banks (20.00 reference to 43rd game)?” wonders Richard Hirst. “My guess would be England v Scotland.” I missed that one, I was on US Open golf duty. Did anything happen earlier today? Let’s say that.
19 min: Isak is sent scampering down the inside-left channel by the busy Karavaev. He takes a touch infield and lashes a low diagonal shot inches wide of the right-hand post. A fine effort by La Liga’s young player of the year.
18 min: Kulusevski sashays down the right and hooks deep for Forsberg, who can’t keep his header down or on target. The ball sails harmlessly out for a goal kick.
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17 min: The referee accidentally barges into Olsson, so stops the match. Drop ball. It’s like that.
15 min: This game is open enough, yet nothing’s really happening. Yet. Plenty of time for it to turn into yet another instant classic.
13 min: Another Swedish corner out on the left. Forsberg takes and loops it straight down Bushchan’s throat. Very poor. Here’s Neil Shull: “Sweden may have a comedian who is a fan, but Ukraine have a president who is a comedian.” This isn’t some Boris-the-clown-style satire; Volodymyr Zelensky actually is a comic.
11 min: A neat one-two between Yaremchuk and Yarmolenko opens Sweden up down the right. The former batters a shot straight at Olsen from a tight angle. The keeper palms it away.
9 min: Shaparenko advances on the Swedish goal and nearly hits the right-hand corner flag with his shot. So in lieu of meaningful action, here’s Hakan Burden with a translation of Ferrell’s teamtalk. “You are so clever! You are so strong! You are so quick! You play really well! We are Swedish fans, all of us. We are Swedish fans, all of us. Come on [names different players by first or nick name].” Ferrell’s wife is Swedish, is the root of all this.
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7 min: Augustinsson crosses dangerously from the left. The ball drops to Kulusevski, whose shot is deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.
5 min: A fairly nondescript start, it has to be said.
3 min: Lustig sends a long ball into the Ukraine box, hoping to find Forsberg. Bushchan comes off his line and punches clear, albeit in a slightly uncertain style.
2 min: Hampden is far from full, but there’s plenty of vocal support for Ukraine, who pass it around the back for the first couple of minutes. Everyone gets a feel.
Here we go, then! The 43rd match of Euro 2020, and the final Round of 16 tie. Who will England face in Rome on Saturday evening? Ukraine get the ball rolling as we set about finding out.
The teams are out! Sweden are in their storied yellow shirts, forcing Ukraine into second-choice blue. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes, once coins are tossed and pennants swapped. Incidentally, Sweden are being cheered on this evening by a well-known fan ...
En hälsning till herrlandslaget från Will Ferrell! 😂🇸🇪
— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) June 29, 2021
Är ni lika peppade på åttondelsfinal som @LAFC ägare!? 🔥😄
“It’s more or less grammatically correct,” reports Håkan Burden. “It makes as much sense as most punditry. But I’m nervous so it feels good having someone famous supporting Sweden.” In the interest of balance, if there’s footage out there of Andriy Shevchenko’s squad being given a pep talk by Adam Sandler, we’d love to hear about it.
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A bit more on Sweden, who are trying out a third strike partnership in four games. Dejan Kulusevksi was forced to isolate at the start of the tournament due to a positive Covid-19 test, but he came on against Poland and set up two goals, including Viktor Claesson’s late winner. He’ll team up this evening with Alexander Isak. Marcus Berg, who started the first two group games against Spain and Slovakia, joins Robin Quaison, selected against the Poles, on the bench.
The national anthems. Ukraine’s anthem, Shche ne Vmerla Ukrainy ni Slava, ni volia, is an avant-garde earworm waiting to happen.
Soul and body, yea, our all, offer we at freedom’s call
We, whose forebears, and ourselves, proud Cossacks are
That’s a nice suit, that’s a swanky suit
Sweden’s national song, Du gamla, du fria, has an equally catchy refrain.
Yes, I want to live, I want to die in the North
Sweden make one change to the XI named for the victory over Poland. Dejan Kulusevski replaces Robin Quaison, who drops to the bench.
Ukraine make two changes to the team selected for the defeat to Austria. Serhiy Kryvtsov and Taras Stepanenko are in; Ruslan Malinovskyi and Vitaliy Mykolenko are benched.
The teams
Sweden: Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Danielson, Augustinsson, Sebastian Larsson, Ekdal, Olsson, Forsberg, Kulusevski, Isak.
Subs: Bengtsson, Berg, Johnsson, Svensson, Helander, Sema, Krafth, Claesson, Jansson, Quaison, Nordfeldt, Cajuste.
Ukraine: Bushchan, Karavayev, Kryvtsov, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Shaparenko, Stepanenko, Sydorchuk, Yarmolenko, Yaremchuk, Zinchenko.
Subs: Sobol, Malinovsky, Marlos, Pyatov, Makarenko, Tsygankov, Mykolenko, Bezus, Besyedin, Trubin, Tymchyk, Dovbyk.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy).
You obviously heard there was another football match on tonight. Yep, the winners of this will face England in the quarter-finals in Rome this Saturday!
Preamble
So did you enjoy the Lord Mayor’s Show? The latest Danish fairytale? Italy’s continued resurgence? The shock defeat of the Dutch? The end of Portugal’s reign? Manic Monday? Whatever’s happening in the England-Germany game that hasn’t finished yet? Yep, this straggler has a fair bit to live up to. Few are expecting.
Thing is, nobody was making any great claims for Italy-Austria, Croatia-Spain or France-Switzerland beforehand. And yet all of those matches, with incremental levels of magnificence and sheer jaw-dropping wonder, delivered. Why not this one? Both teams have already been involved in a 3-2, Ukraine coming back from two goals down against the Dutch only to lose, Sweden shipping a two-goal lead against Poland only to win. Perfection may be a pipe dream; fun and thrills are not. Also, this is being played at Hampden Park, where the most famous fixture involving two visiting teams from mainland Europe finished 7-3. It’s all part of the mix. Fingers crossed.
Here’s to a spectacular finish of a sensational Round of 16, then. Don’t let us down, Sweden. Come through for us, Ukraine. Kick off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
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