Following an absence of 12 long years, Sweden marked their return to the FIFA World Cup™ in style in the opening match of Group F. The desire of Janne Andersson’s charges was there for all to see as they emerged victorious over a disappointing Korea Republic.
The Swedes were rewarded for an enterprising performance in which they created a series of goalscoring chances. As much due to their own profligacy as to the opposition backline, the hoards of Scandinavian fans in Nizhny Novgorod were made to wait until the second half before the deadlock was broken.
The Taeguk Warriors conceded a penalty in the 65th minute following confirmation by VAR, and Swedish captain Andreas Granqvist shouldered the responsibility, coolly converting the resulting spot kick. Korea Republic pushed hard to find a way back into the game, but to no avail. Their disappointing series of results at the World Cup continues: they have now gone six matches without a win, a run that dates back to their victory over Greece in 2010.