Good evening and welcome along to Ireland v Sweden Volume II.
Eileen Gleeson’s side are in Friends Arena, Solna this evening for the second part of their Euro 2025 qualifier double-header. It didn’t go to plan on Friday night as Ireland shipped a 3-0 defeat in the Aviva Stadium, but they created plenty of chances which they should have converted and gave Sweden plenty to sweat over.
We’ll have team line-ups for you in the next few minutes as we prepare for kick-off which is coming up at 5.30pm.
The Ireland team has just been announced.
Leanne Kiernan, Ruesha Littlejohn and Aoife Mannion all come in to replace Amber Barrett, Anna Patten and Jessie Stapleton.
STARTING XI | Sweden v Ireland
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 4, 2024
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Sweden v Ireland (kick-off)
1 min: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland are playing five at the back tonight, as Jess Ziu earns an earl free off Eriksson which sees her receive a yellow card. Megan Connolly will take.
2 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
It’s a decent delivery as Connolly tries to find Louise Quinn. The ball goes out for a throw and the play eventually ends with the offside flag goin up against Aoife Mannion.
5 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Filippa Angeldal gives Ireland a scare as she tries to get on the end of a ball into the danger area. Courtney Brosnan is alert to the danger and shuts it down.
6 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Another nervy moment for Ireland. Johann Rytting Kaneryd tries to set up a chance which eventually comes to Janogy, but she doesn’t get the connection and the offside flag is up.
Leanne Kiernan is down at the moment receiving treatment after getting a bang.
11 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Kiernan is getting some attention on her nose but she’s up and looks good to play on. She’s heading to the sideline but the doctor seems happy enough to wave her back on.
The play resumes and comes back to Brosnan. The captain Kosovare Asllani gets a block on the attempted clearance but the ball goes out for a goal kick.
12 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Sweden send the ball down long but McCabe is back to watch the play go out for an Ireland throw which she takes.
13 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland lose possession and Fridolina Rolfö tries to engineer a counter move outside the Irish box. Ruesha Littlejohn does well to kill off the attack and Ireland eventually clear the danger and have a throw-in at the midway line.
15 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Another Irish throw which Mannion takes to find Kyra Carusa. But Sweden get the ball back and they advance through Kaneryd which comes to nothing in the end due to an offside.
Brosnan comes out to boot the ball up.
17 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Mannion puts the ball out under pressure for a Sweden throw-in. Carusa does well to return the pressure while Sweden are on the ball but the hosts are still in possession and using the width of the field well.
Hanna Lundkvist takes the ball out wide, feeds it back to Angeldahl whose cross in falls into the hands of Brosnan.
19 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Louise Quin loses the ball while trying to go forward in possession. Sweden counter and Mannion puts in an excellent tackle at the edge of the box to snuff it out.
Ireland have pushed Sweden back now to give them a breather.
21 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Quinn tries to pass the ball back to Brosnan, but her effort is put off course from an incoming Sweden player. The ball goes out for a throw which coms to Kaneryd for the cross in. She finds Rolfo but her powerful header has too much air under it and Ireland are spared again.
22 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Good movement by Ireland to put Kiernan through in the penalty area. She slips the ball across but it’s too high and there aren’t enough Irish shirts forward to chase it down and the move ends in a throw-in for Sweden.
23 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Louise Quinn gets a vital tackle in to kill a Swedish attack through Asslani. It looked like it could have been a free on the replay but the referee waved play on and Ireland now have a corner to take.
25 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
The keeper rises highest to punch the ball away to Connolly who is unmarked at the edge of the box. She hits it first time, and it needed a deflection which didn’t come so Sweden will take the kick out.
Now Sweden have a free at the other end.
26 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Great Ireland save!
Brosnan stretches her arms up to keep out a powerful shot from Rolfo and the danger isn’t over as Sweden still have a corner to take.
27 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Another corner to Sweden on the other side. Andersson takes but it sails over everybody and out for a goal kick.
29 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Louise Quinn heads the ball away from an attempted ball into the area. Ziu then gets a block on a shot from Janogy in the penalty area. Sweden get the ball out and try to lob it into Janogy again, but Brosnan is out to collect.
32 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Another scare. Kaneryd sprints past McCabe to get on a through ball. Sweeps it across to Janogy but she doesn’t apply the vital touch.
Ireland come down with a more positive attack. Carusa does well in possession and holds the ball up well. She tries to clip the ball in but her effort goes well wide.
34 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Quinn earns a free kick during a Sweden attack in the Ireland box. Ireland then get a throw but there’s a stoppage in play as Brosnan requires treatment.
38 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland lose possession from the throw as Carusa commits a foul. Caitlin Hayes and Mannion work well to get on top of a Sweden attack near the corner flag. Ireland win the ball back and work the ball up as far as Kiernan who tries to link up with Carusa and the flag shoots up straight away.
40 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Sweden are working the ball around after winning another corner. Jess Ziu intercepts to kick it away but Sweden have it back.
Meanwhile, it looks like Anna Patten is coming on for Louise Quinn.
42 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Quinn didn’t look too happy coming off there, and there didn’t appear to be any injury concerns. But Patten is in for the last few minutes of the first half.
42 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Hayes sticks the boot out to concede a corner at the post. Ireland will be satisfied if they can get to the break with the scoreline as it is.
44 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Andersson’s corner goes out off the side-netting. Brosnan’s kickout comes to Asslani. She tries to Rolfo in one-on-one but her first touch is raw as she tries to recover it with Mannion keeping close attention to her. Ireland kickout again.
46 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Six minutes of added time have been announced as Ireland survive another Swedish corner.
48 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Patten comes across to kick the ball out for a Sweden throw. But the referee awards a free to Ireland.
Half-Time! Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Massive defensive effort from Ireland in the first half. A few nervy moments but overall, no major threats from Sweden in that 45 minutes. Ireland were already 1-0 down at this point on Friday so there are obvious improvements to be seen so far.
Second-Half: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
46 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Early throw for Ireland which McCabe takes. She loops it in and Sweden push it back. Connolly gets the afters but Ireland can’t create anything from it.
48 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ball comes down to Carusa who sweeps it over into the path of Connolly for the shot but she doesn’t get enough on it. Ziu eventually commits a foul and Sweden are probing now.
48 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Free-kick to Sweden after Mannion fouls off the ball. Asslani puts the ball on Janogy’s head for a free shot at the goal but Brosnan gets her palms behind it. The offside flag goes up so it wouldn’t have counted anyway but it’s another moment of survival for Ireland.
50 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Great block from Hayes to kill a close-range shot from Janogy.
52 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Patten puts the ball out of play for a throw to Sweden. Anderson tries to cut the ball back but can only find Littlejohn. Lundkvist receives the ball from Angeldahl and tries a shot from distance but it’s rising all the time for a kickout.
54 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
IRELAND SAVE!!
Sweden come very close to taking the lead as Mannion fails to deal with a cross in and tries to control it. Rolfo pounces and tries to poke it home but credit to Brosnan’s positioning to ensure it stays 0-0.
Ireland now have a free in an inviting position.
55 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Mannion throws a leg at the ball but she doesn’t the connection right at all.
56 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland keep the ball up there momentarily but Sweden nick it back and launch a swift counter attack. Janogy tries to sneak in to get on the end of it but Brosnan again is sharp and gets her body on the ball.
56 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland making two changes: Littlejohn is off and Jessie Stapleton is on. Lily Agg makes way for Abbie Larkin.
58 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Yellow card for Anna Patten for a foul on Janogy at the edge of the area.
61 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
That was a massive chance for Sweden and they make a mess of it. The first shot is a tame effort that comes back off the post. Rolfo puts the ball back into the box where it eventually comes to Connolly to put a boot on it. Carusa then adds a header to it to clear the danger further.
63 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Big chance for Rolfo as she creates an inch of space with her first touch. But she hits fresh air with the effort and it’s another opportunity fumbled by Sweden.
65 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Yellow card for McCabe after taking down Kaneryd with a heavy touch. Sweden look set to make some changes.
67 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Carusa steals the ball from Andersson outside the Sweden penalty box. Great cross in but Sweden head it out. Ziu then tries to arrow the ball in but Kiernan is well marshalled and can’t get the shot at goal.
71 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Great free-kick by Katie McCabe to lob the ball in to the Sweden box. Goalkeeper Zecira Musovic comes out to claim and collides with her teammate Magdalena Eriksson mid-flight and drops the ball. An Irish boot gets to the ball but Muzovic is on top of it and the referee blows the whistle for a free out. Eriksson is down needing treatment after the clash.
74 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
There could have been calls for a Sweden penalty there. It looked like the ball hit Anna Patten’s elbow. But the play continues.
75 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Kiernan is down but the referee doesn’t look interested and Kiernan is up and hobbling it off.
77 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Rolfo and Andersson try to combine outside the Ireland penalty area and the ball goes out for a corner.
Hayes gets under it and sends it as far as Kiernan. McCabe tries to take off with it but Zigotti Olme comes in to steal it back and McCabe fouls her. More danger ahead.
79 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Ireland changes: Amber Barrett is on for Kiernan. And Lucy Quinn replaces Jess Ziu.
81 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Great read from Brosnan to leap and catch a cross in from Bennison. The time is ticking away and Sweden have not managed to make Ireland break yet.
82 mins: Sweden 0-0 Ireland
Through ball in to Sofia Jacobson but Hayes gets in to boot it out for a corner. The referee isn’t happy with the scuffling in the Ireland goal mouth but it eventually gets sorted.
GOAL! Sweden 1-0 Ireland
83 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
And the resultant corner from Andersson goes all the way into the Ireland net. Brosnan couldn’t get to it and there were no Irish shirts at the back post to stop the ball from bouncing in.
86 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Andersson swings in another corner. But Brosnan claims this one and rolls it out to McCabe.
Eriksson got a touch on the corner to put Sweden ahead.
🇸🇪 1-0 🇮🇪
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Sweden take the lead with seven minutes to go, Eriksson getting a touch from Andersson’s corner
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88 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Lucy Quinn tries to send the ball up for Amber Barrett to chase but Sweden have their lines well covered. Abbie Larkin then wins a free, and it looks like Megan Connolly is coming over to take it.
90 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Offside against Stapleton after some good play from Ireland. McCabe whips the ball in and Stapleton tries to get in to head the ball home. But she’s greeted by the goalkeeper’s chest as the offside flag goes up.
Three minutes of added time to go.
92 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Kafaji tries to swing her shot inside the far post but she pushes it up and over the bar. Into the last minute now and hopes of a point are fading.
92 mins: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Barrett gets on a long ball in. Takes it in along the endline and tries to knock it in at the post but it’s saved.
Full-Time! Sweden 1-0 Ireland
FT: Sweden 1-0 Ireland
Defeat again for Ireland but so close to getting a point. They frustrated Sweden for over 80 minutes but a lapse of concentration during a set-piece has cost them.
Ireland didn’t create as many clear chances as they did on Friday night but they contained Sweden more this time around.
Well, that’s all from us folks. Head over to our other liveblog tracking the Ireland men’s team in their friendly against Hungary. Emma Duffy will have the Ireland v Sweden report shortly.
Bye for now!
