Monica Jusu Bah scored her first international goal to give Sweden a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute against Denmark. Pernille Harder equalized for Denmark around the 30th minute, and Janni Thomsen scored a 2-1 winning goal for Denmark in stoppage time. This match was Sweden's home premiere in the World Cup qualifiers, according to multiple reports, making the late collapse particularly painful for the hosts.
Sweden created numerous scoring opportunities but failed to capitalize fully. Felicia Schröder hit the post with a shot in the very first minute against Denmark, and Stina Blackstenius hit the post with a header shortly after Sweden's goal. According to multiple reports, Sweden hit the post three times and had other near misses throughout the match, highlighting their offensive frustration despite generating chances.
Individual performances varied significantly during the Denmark match. According to other sources, Filippa Angeldahl was a key factor in Sweden's dominant first 10 minutes, winning duels and creating chances. Jennifer Falk had a solid performance with good kicks and free-kicks, but received no help from the defense on Denmark's goal, according to other sources. Rebeka Blomqvist struggled, failing to get into the game and mixing up passes, while Julia Zigiotti Olme was less involved early but worked into the game with several good actions, according to other sources. In a concerning incident, Pernille Harder collided with Julia Zigiotti Olme in the second half and was forced to leave the game due to injury, according to official sources.
Coach Tony Gustavsson employed an experimental lineup and tactical approach against Denmark. Felicia Schröder and Monica Jusu Bah started against Denmark, according to multiple reports, with Sofia Reidy making her debut as a starting player. According to multiple reports, Gustavsson used a fluid tactical formation, possibly influenced by Graham Potter. According to other sources, Smilla Holmberg, with eleven national team appearances, was the most experienced in the backline, while Elma Junttila Nelhage served as the pivot, showing tactical skill and defensive work.
This defeat followed another disappointing result for Sweden, who drew 0-0 with Serbia in a World Cup qualifier. Sweden failed to score against Serbia due to issues in the final third and Serbia's defensive setup. Serbia hit the post in the first half and had other chances, while Sweden had few dangerous chances with only isolated goal opportunities, according to other sources.
Gustavsson made significant lineup changes for the Serbia match as well. According to multiple reports, Felicia Schröder and Monica Jusu Bah started ahead of more experienced players like Fridolina Rolfö and Stina Blackstenius. The defensive line against Serbia had an average age of 20.8 years, according to multiple reports. Stina Blackstenius and Fridolina Rolfö were substituted in during the match, with Rosa Kafaji and Evelyn Ijeh coming on late as well.
I was frustrated about being substituted in the 56th minute against Serbia.
Sweden's squad was further hampered by injury absences affecting both matches. Kosovare Asllani was absent from the Denmark match due to injury, according to multiple reports. Nathalie Björn was injured and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd did not play against Denmark, according to multiple reports.
The group standings now show Denmark leading the World Cup qualifying group with 7 points after their win. Sweden is second in the group with 4 points. The group also includes Italy and Serbia, according to official sources. According to official sources, the group winner gets a direct spot to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, while the other three teams play playoffs for additional spots in the fall.
Sweden's qualification path has become more challenging following these results. According to multiple reports, Sweden needs nine points from their last three matches to have a chance at direct qualification. According to other sources, Sweden has completed two of the toughest away matches in the qualifiers, with Denmark away remaining. Sweden's next qualifiers are home matches against Denmark on April 14 and Serbia four days later, according to other sources.
In broader context, Sweden have started the World Cup qualifiers with four points, according to research sources. According to other sources, Sweden earned four points from the two matches against Italy and Serbia instead of six. Research sources indicate Serbia upset Denmark away 3–1 in the first match of the qualifiers. Filippa Angeldahl scored the match-winning goal against Italy from distance, according to research sources.
Late substitutions played a role in both matches. According to other sources, Fridolina Rolfö came on in the 73rd minute against Denmark when Sweden was pushing for an equalizer.
Sweden's offensive struggles were evident across both matches. According to multiple reports, Sweden created many chances but failed to score more goals against Denmark.
The exact nature and severity of Pernille Harder's injury after the collision with Julia Zigiotti Olme remains unknown, with no official update on her condition. There is also confusion about why Fotbollskanalen reported a 1-0 loss to Denmark when all other sources report 1-2, creating a major factual discrepancy about the match outcome. Additionally, conflicting information exists about whether Tony Gustavsson or Peter Gerhardsson is the current head coach, with some sources citing Gustavsson in recent match contexts while others state Gerhardsson was announced in November 2016.