‘IT WOULD BE EASIER TO BEAT BRAZIL’

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON has warned England they face a more daunting task then taking on World Cup favourites Brazil when they meet Sweden on Saturday. Gareth Soutgate’s side booked their place in the last eight of the World Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Colombia, but former England boss Eriksson has issued a harsh warning. ‘It would be easier for England to beat Brazil than to beat Sweden,’ he said. ‘Sweden today are a very hard team to break down. ‘They are very solid and really tough. If you woke them up in the middle of the night, they would know every position in defending — any possibility in the game, they know what to do. ‘Their strikers are defenders when it’s time to defend and they can defend in their own box as well.’