It will take a lot for Sweden's women's football team to miss next year's European Championship. The two-goal lead ahead of the playoff decider at home on Tele2 Arena on Tuesday should normally be more than enough against a nation like Serbia, 34th in the world rankings.
However, it was slow going at Dubocica Stadium for a long time. Sweden only had 0-0 at halftime, but then the youngsters took action.
Hanna Bennison, 22, scored 1-0 in the 54th minute. Rosa Kafaji, 21, arranged 2-0 a quarter of an hour later.
It's just that the two step forward is strong. It says a lot about the future of this national team. They are two incredibly skilled football players, says Barcelona star Fridolina Rolfö.
The goals were nice in different ways.
Bennison caught a ball outside the penalty area, tensed her wrist, and sent in 1-0 with a heavy long shot.
It was nice, a wrist shot. Nice to put it in and get the first goal. The most important thing was probably to win the match, but also fun when you get to start and show that you want to play, says Bennison.
Kafaji, on the other hand, stayed up front and headed in Jonna Andersson's well-placed corner for 2-0. She doesn't usually score with her head, she says.
It's been a while, I can say, says Kafaji.
The goal may have great significance, she believes. Now the European Championship spot is close.
It's incredibly important. It may not close the match completely, but it closes it a bit anyway. It feels a bit safer.
