Key events
Wales are facing France in St Gallen – but were left “shaken” when their team bus was involved in a collision with a car on their way to training.
Tomorrow, it’s England v the Netherlands – and Vivianne Miedema is going up against her partner, Beth Mead. Does the Dutch forward have mixed feelings? Not really …
A half-time plug for our exceptional interactive player-by-player guide.
Half time: Poland 0-1 Sweden
Janogy spins away from Matysik and into space but is (harshly) penalised to deny Sweden one more break. They could have had three or four goals, but have just the one Stina Blackstenius goal to show for their dominance so far.
47 mins: Pajor does get into the area to meet a cross, but it’s claimed by Falk, who is then bumped to the floor by the Polish striker.
46 mins: Pajor is penalised for a foul; she’s feeling frustrated, having been unable to get involved in the game.
45 mins: Three added minutes. Sweden have put in 23 crosses in the first-half. They’ve got a strategy, and they’re sticking with it.
44 mins: Rytting Kaneryd floats in a cross and despite the attentions of two centre-backs, Blackstenius gets her head to the ball first – but sends her header over the bar!
42 mins: Big chance for Sweden! Bjorn reads Wos’s attempted pass upfield and plays in Blackstenius, who’s onside and one-on-one. Her shot is undercooked, though, and Szemik is able to turn it behind!
40 mins: Amanda Nilden, who didn’t feature in Sweden’s first game, stays down after a collision with Tomasiak. Jonna Andersson is sent from the subs’ bench to warm up, just in case.
39 mins: We’re back under way, Asllani trying but failing to race on to a long ball, with Wos shepherding it out of play.
37 mins: Sylwia Matysik goes down after a clash of heads with Janogy. While she receives treatment, both sets of players grab a drinks break.
36 mins: The one-way traffic continues with Rytting Kanerud unable to get her shot away under pressure. Poland have defended their area well, the trouble is that Sweden are getting there all too often.
34 mins: As I type that, Blackstenius turns sharply in the box and hits a shot that might have crept in, were it not for a slight deflection off Wos. Sweden corner, but the whistle blows for a foul on Poland’s keeper, Kinga Szemik.
32 mins: Matysik tackles left-back Nilden and the throw-in goes Poland’s way. They need to try and keep this to a one-goal deficit at half-time …
31 mins: On the goal – Sweden have looked to overload down the right flank, with Asllani, Angeldahl and Kaneryd taking turns to push forward. It felt like the best route to break Poland down, and has paid off inside half an hour.
30 mins: Pajor and Asllani grapple for the ball and the Sweden captain is booked – harshly, I would suggest, given that Pajor was the first to grab her opponent’s shirt.
GOAL! Poland 0-1 Sweden (Blackstenius 28′)
Well, it had been coming – and now Sweden have the lead! Asllani runs on to Angeldahl’s pass and lifts in a cross for the unmarked Stina Blackstenius to head home.
26 mins: Janogy retreats into her own half to collect the ball and is fouled by Krezyman.
24 mins: Wiankowska nicks the ball away from Angeldahl and motors upfield, then hits an aimless long ball which has teammate Achchinska shrugging her shoulders in frustration.
23 mins: Ilestedt comes forward for a free kick and gets her head to it, but the ball loops onto the roof of the net.
22 mins: Angeldahl finds space down the right and drills in a cross to Blackstenius, who gets ahead of her marker but can’t keep her shot down. That’s the kind of chance we’ve seen her bury on many occasions.
20 mins: Matysik gets across well to heave the ball out of touch with Janogy threatening to get beyond her. Sweden fans are here in big numbers – there are pockets of yellow shirts all around the ground.
18 mins: A Polish cross evades Krezyman in the area and Sweden break downfield, only for Blackstenius’ control to let her down with Angeldahl and Asllani arriving in the area.
16 mins: Eek! Wos dallies on the ball and is robbed by Blackstenius – and has Matysik to thank after the right-back cuts out the cross to Janogy, who would have surely scored.
14 mins: Ewa Pajor is having to drop back to the halfway line to get involved – but when she does, she sweeps a lovely long diagonal out to Krezyman. The winger has to wait for support, though, and is eventually crowded out.
12 mins: Sweden hit the bar again! At the other end, Kaneryd’s cross is this close to Asllani’s head – and moments later, Lundkist has time and space to pick out Janogy at the far post – and her header hits the top of the crossbar!
11 mins: Angeldahl is dispossessed on the edge of the area and Poland work it upfield, only for Achcinska’s attempted long ball towards Tomasiak to be cut out.
9 mins: Rytting Kaneryd gets in behind the Polish back line from Angeldahl’s pass, but can’t find Blackstenius with the cut-back. Still, Sweden have Poland camped around their own penalty area.
7 mins: Janogy picks up a loose ball and finds Asllani ahead of her, but centre-back Szymczak does well to fend her off and retrieve the ball.
5 mins: Poland get upfield for the first time before left-back Wiankowska, lacking options around her, scuffs a shot that’s on target, but easy for Falk to collect.
3 mins: The ball keeps coming back, Wos giving it away cheaply before Angeldahl sends her shot from a narrow angle high over the bar.
2 mins: Sweden hit the bar! Asllani gets her head to a deflected cross and her effort loops onto the crossbar. Poland get it clear, but not for long …
1 min: Madelen Janogy, who’s started the first two games with Fridolina Rolfo recovering from injury, gets away down the left. Her cross is cleared at the near post, and the winger can’t steer the rebound on target.
First half
Away we go, with Sweden straight on the attack …
The players are out and anthems performed under an ethereal sky in Lucerne. Sweden will be in their blue away shirts, with Poland in white shirts and red shorts.
Here’s Suzanne Wrack on a wild, VAR-heavy win for Germany.
Pre-match reading
Sweden have a midfield general from Real Madrid and an all-star attacking line-up – but Poland’s team are powered by a never-say-die spirit. Read up on both teams here:
“There’s a (frankly terrifying) 153m outdoor elevator about 8km from the stadium in Lucerne,” writes Ben Mock. “Feels like a fitting analogy for the task ahead of Poland tonight.” Frankly terrifying looks about right.
It’s finished Germany 2-1 Denmark, the eight-times champions fighting back from a goal down at half-time to secure their second win in Group C. If Sweden win tonight, both teams will be guaranteed a quarter-final place before they meet in Zurich on Saturday.
Team news
Poland (4-3-3): Szemik; Matysik, Szymczak, Wos, Wiankowska; Achcinska, Pawollek, Grabowska; Krezyman, Pajor (c), Tomasiak.
Subs: Radkiewicz, Seweryn, Zieniewicz, Dudek, Mesjasz, Kamczyk, Zawistowska, Kokosz, Jedlinskia, Slowinska, Padilla, Ademek.
Sweden (4-3-3): Falk; Lundkvist, Bjorn, Ilestedt, Nilden; Angeldahl; Asllani, Zigiotti Olme; Rytting Kaneryd, Blackstenius, Janogy.
Subs: Holmgren, Enblom, J Andersson, Sembrant, Eriksson, Hurtig, Jakobsson, Wangerheim, Rolfo, Bennison, Holmberg, Blomqvist.
Preamble
Major tournaments can be a brutal business. After months of anticipation, it can all be over in a matter of days – which is particularly tough on debutants. For Poland, three decades of trying but failing to reach a major finals came to an end with a surprise playoff win over Austria.
Poland began their Group C campaign with a creditable 2-0 defeat to Germany, but with said opponents beating Denmark in Basel, Nina Patalon’s side will likely need a result against Sweden – another former champion – or see their Euros dream end, four days after their tournament began.
Sweden, who got the better of Denmark in their opener, will start as heavy favourites but Poland have a world-class forward in Ewa Pajor, and they have overcome the odds just to be there. One result can still change everything. Kick-off is at 8pm BST, 9pm local time.
