How life without Zlatan has changed

Sweden have adopted a pragmatic but effective approach after loss of icon. By Jeremy Wilson Tournament

The retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from international football meant a fundamental change in their approach. It was hard to be too cautious with one of the best strikers in the world demanding service but the flip-side was that a more adventurous approach exposed other weaknesses through the team. No such worries now, where the first priority against good opposition is their defensive discipline. Every player is completely signed up to the game-plan and has a very clear understanding of their role. The system is largely 4-4-2, albeit with two hardrunning, but technically limited, strikers. Their banks of midfielders and defenders are compact, but do look to break quickly on the counter-attack. Their centre-back and captain, Andreas Granqvist, who was playing yesterday despite his wife being due to give birth any day, is naturally a huge influence, as is Victor Lindelof, whose defensive performances so far at the World Cup have suggested that he could have a positive future at Manchester United. Granqvist has already also scored two penalties in this tournament and the team have conceded only twice in four matches.

Overall, industry is the most striking feature through the team, but, in Emil Forsberg, they do have a player with the quality to create from deep, while Viktor Claesson’s passing has contributed two assists. They also still have Sebastian Larsson, suspended against Switzerland, whose dead-ball qualities are well known to Sunderland and Hull City fans.