‘We’re going to do everything to stop him’
Sweden plot how they can end Kane goal spree Andersson set for battle at corners and free-kicks
in Samara
Sweden will go into today’s World Cup quarter-final against England with a clear instruction from their captain ringing in their ears: stop Harry Kane.
Ahead of the showdown in Samara, Andreas Granqvist declared he and his team-mates would do “everything” possible to avoid becoming Kane’s latest victim.
The England captain has scored six goals from just nine shots, so it was no surprise to hear Granqvist single him out yesterday, with the defender admitting Sweden could not afford to give him a single chance.
“We know, of course, that they have Harry Kane, who is really dangerous in the penalty box,” the 33-year-old said. “So, we need to be very strong in the box and try to make sure that they don’t get the service that they need.”
He added of Kane: “He’s incredibly skilled, not just at penalties, but as a striker. He’s good at everything and it’s going to be a very tough match against him. But we’re going to do everything to stop him.”
Stopping Kane could mean winning the set-piece battle between two of the tournament’s best exponents of dead-ball situations, with four of his goals – including two penalties – coming from corners.
Sweden’s manager, Janne Andersson, said: “Set-piece situations will be one key factor. For the first time, I feel, we meet a country who is more or less on a par with us in that respect. So that’ll be a fight to get to the first ball.”
England fans will expect nothing less than victory against a side ranked the second-worst of those left in the World Cup.
But Gareth Southgate and his players know they face arguably their toughest test to date from a team who stunned Holland and Italy in qualifying, topped a finals group featuring Germany and Mexico and beat sixth-ranked Switzerland in the last 16. All this despite a lack of star names since Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired two years ago.
Granqvist said: “We mightn’t have, on paper, the best team, or individuals. But, as a team, we’re very high achievers.”
They have also proved something of an enigma for their opponents, who have not managed to crack what appears to be a straightforward 4-4-2 system.
Andersson said: “I think there was a coach who said about their team once that they’re quite easy to analyse but quite difficult to beat. And I think that’s a right description for us.”
England’s recent record against Sweden is also poor but Andersson dismissed its significance given both squads had changed radically since they last met in 2012. He said: “We’re a completely different squad. So are they. So, anything that went before is not relevant.”
Andersson was nevertheless thrilled to take on a country whose football he was raised on during the 1970s. “There was only one televised match a week back in those days,” he said, declaring himself “a huge fan” of the English game and specifically recalling Kenny Hibbitt’s exploits for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“I grew up with this. England was really my second nation, as it were. So, that in itself is a wonderful feeling, to be faced with England now as the head coach of the Swedish team.”
One of Sweden’s English-based players, Sebastian Larsson, was expected to be recalled for today’s
‘A coach said their team was easy to analyse but difficult to beat — I think that’s right for us’
game after missing their win over Switzerland through suspension. Another ban, for right-back Mikael Lustig, should mean a first start of the tournament for Emil Krafth. Albin Ekdal has been passed fit following an X-ray on a foot problem, with Andersson declaring everybody else available.
That included his captain, whose wife gave birth to a second daughter back in Sweden yesterday. Granqvist said: “I didn’t sleep very much last night, so I’m glad that it’s happened now. My wife did a wonderful job back home. “Everything went well. Both baby, my daughter, and wife are doing really well.”
The centre-back, who remained in Russia, added: “It’s a dream for every football player to play a quarter-final in the World Cup.”