Sweden's women's national football team suffered a narrow defeat to France in the first Nations League bronze match. The decisive goal came in the 96th minute from a corner. It marks the third straight loss under new head coach Tony Gustavsson.
The match in Reims ended 1–2 in favor of France in the first of two bronze matches in the UEFA Women's Nations League. Sweden took the lead in the second half through Stina Blackstenius after a textbook attack, but France equalized just before halftime via a controversial penalty by Sakina Karchaoui. The penalty was awarded after Anna Sandberg fouled Kadidiatou Diani in the box.
The decisive goal came in the 96th minute when Griedge Mbock headed in the ball from a corner. The referee had added three minutes, but the game extended due to injury stoppages and substitutions. SVT expert Hanna Marklund called it "a major disappointment, of course," while Elena Sadiku summed it up as "tragic."
Stina Blackstenius, who scored for Sweden, expressed frustration: "I'm of course incredibly disappointed with how the match ends." The loss is the third in a row under Tony Gustavsson, with the team yet to earn points under his leadership. The return leg is on Tuesday at 3Arena in Stockholm, where Sweden needs a win to sustain enthusiasm ahead of spring's World Cup qualifiers.
Parallel to the match, the final between Germany and Spain ended 0–0. Ahead of the game, Filippa Angeldahl emphasized the need for responsibility from experienced players: "It requires those of us who have been around a while to take greater responsibility." Experts also criticized halftime substitutions, such as removing Angeldahl and Schröder, described as "extremely strange."
