Even Zlatan can't save flat Sweden
ITALY 1
(Eder 88)
SWEDEN 0
In a team of ordinary performers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Sweden's saving grace.
No, make that the only reason the Swedes are at Euro 2016.
His 11 goals in their qualifying campaign - three in the two-legged play-off win over Denmark - bought them a ticket to France.
An entire country hailed their talisman.
But even Ibrahimovic can't save them this time around.
A 1-0 defeat to Italy at the Stadium Municipal yesterday saw the Azzurri book in advance their tickets to the Round of 16.
It also left Sweden's chances dangling by a thread.
Their solitary point from two matches came in the 1-1 draw in their opening game against the Republic of Ireland on Monday.
The expanded format of this edition of the European Championship, which for the first time in its history allows four third-placed teams advance, means that Sweden can still wriggle through.
But even if they do, they will merely be delaying the inevitable.
The match looked as if it was going to end in a goal-less draw.
Sweden needed a moment of brilliance.
They looked for their saviour.
The magic finally came, but it was provided by a man in blue.
Up stepped Eder.
The Brazil-born striker sliced diagonally across a retreating Swedish defence, then curled a superb winner into the net.
Sweden were expecting exactly that from Ibrahimovic.
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