Sweden Out Of Luck As Stunning Austria Destroy Them

One of the great things about the Euro 2016 competition is the interesting match ups it provides, and whilst no one was expecting Liechtenstein to stand up against Russia, the table positions had left Sweden out for a win at all costs against the Austrians to keep their hopes alive of that coveted automatic-qualification spot second place in the group would earn them. They gave it their all. It wasn’t enough.

This, I should probably point out hastily, was not part of the plan. What was supposed to occur was that I would write this “live” during the Sweden vs Austria game in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, allowing the highlights of the game to insert themselves into the text as I went along. It was, even if I do say so myself, a masterly plan of brilliance, subtle elegance and distinctly pretentious ambition……which is probably why it completely failed and I now sit here the morning after putting fingers to keyboard.

Sweden vs Austria

• Swedes needed victory
• Austrian’s win four-one
• Swedes now need playoff win

It seemed such a good idea at the time. Austria were out to qualify for the finals for just the second time ever, and opposite them their one-nil defeat by Russia had left Sweden out to bounce back having had their wake-up call. I crowed to friends that it would be a better match than England vs Switzerland (which I may have described as a match of wankers vs bankers after several lagers) and was all set to intermingle live football and eclectic thoughts, gambling news coverage could do with the mixture.

Then the game kicked off and fewer than seven minutes later I had created at half a paragraph of incomprehensible gobbledygook and was staring somewhat wild-eyed at the screen as Austria celebrated an effortless penalty from Alaba that put them in the lead. With Ibrahimovic on the pitch I was certain I’d be watching Sweden out class Austria, but instead Austria had taken the lead. This wasn’t in the script. This wasn’t how it was meant to go.

Sweden Out Of Chances As Austria Run Riot

Sweden had a chance to snap right back with a free-kick in striking range, but the Austrian goalie, Robert Almer, made an athletic save and the one goal advantage stood unanswered. This was, to my mind, unfathomable. Surely the Swedes, who had put in such sterling performances under pressure in the World Cup would push back against this surprising deficit in goals, the scoreline leaving Sweden out of an automatic final’s place position in the table, they’d have to, right?

Fifteen minutes into the game, my keyboard abandoned, my fridge already two cans down, this was still a “must-win” game for Sweden out to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France without the rigmarole of play-off matches. Then Austria scored again. Janko flicked on a long throw to the far post where Hamik’s head managed to nod it home as he beat Olsson to the ball. 2-0 Austria. Unbelievable.
Worse still Russia had gone a goal up putting Sweden out 2nd place in the group.

The second half then, we all expected, would be a savage series of sustained attacks from Sweden out to not just even the score but win the match against a very defensive Austria who only needed a single point (and thus would be happy enough with a draw) to qualify. But if you were Swedish gambling laws of averages would see at least some of Ibrahimovic’s free-kicks hit the net, you’d be disappointed because this game wasn’t done being contrary to popular belief.

Massive Russian Win Leaves Sweden Out Of Automatic-Qualification

Not only did Austria not just sit on their lead, but they struck out to get a bigger one, and as Alaba, Janko, Amautovic and Bayem dashed about on the break causing all sorts of problems for the Swedish defense, at the back Almer was as solid as a rock and as lithe as a gazelle making superb save after superb save to keep Austria in the lead despite the immense pressure Sweden were putting on him. With Sweden out for blood and the Austrians not resting on their laurels the game was effervescent.

The tension mounted as Austria got closer and closer to those French finals, and the chances for Sweden seemed to drift further out of reach with each passing minute, it was electrifying. But the game had saved some excitement for the end. With only ten minutes to go Marc Janko knocked one home to put Austria three nil up, the game done and dusted. Sweden out of second place and doomed to a far harder road to France and those Euro 2016 finals.

Then Austria’s Martin Hamik scored again. Four nil. It wasn’t just a defeat of Sweden now, but a massacre, rubbed in all the more by Russia being six goals up against the hapless Liechtenstein and taking second spot in the group with a cushion. Two minutes into injury time Ibrahimovic finally scored a consolation goal that probably consoled no one, and indeed the biggest lesson that anyone who likes to bet on sports in Sweden can take away from this great game is that come the finals in France, bet on Austria at ComeOn! Sportsbook, or your favorite bet365 proxy site, because they were superb.