PORTO, 19 June 2004 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck a late goal to give Sweden a battling 1-1 draw with a vastly-improved Italy side playing without suspended playmaker Francesco Totti in a storming Group C clash yesterday.
The points seemed to be heading Italy’s way when Ibrahimovic hooked the ball into the top corner with his back to goal from close-range after a scramble in the area in the 85th minute. Italy had taken the lead after 37 minutes with a header from 21-year-old Antonio Cassano and outplayed a determined Sweden team for long periods of an abosrbing match.
Sweden next meet Scandinavian rivals Denmark in their final match with both teams on four points with Italy, who have two points, facing an easier match against eliminated Bulgaria. Denmark saw off Bulgaria 2-0 in a rugged Group C match yesterday, sending the Bulgarians out of the tournament.
Only some inspired goalkeeping from former Juventus youngster Andreas Isaksson in the Swedish goal had prevented Italy from extending their lead. Totti, banned by UEFA for three matches for spitting and booed by the Swedish fans when his image was flashed on the stadium TV screen, could only watch from the stands.
He can return if they reach the semifinals, although Italy played well enough without him compared to their lackluster display against Denmark in their goalless opening match.
Italy attacked for most of a pulsating first half and had five goal attempts from Alessandro Del Piero and Christian Vieri before breaking the deadlock eight minutes before the break.
Christian Panucci, who had an excellent match marauding down the left flank, created the goal with a left-footed inswinging cross for Cassano who stooped low to glance the ball past Isaksson for his second goal in his fifth international.
The only downside for Italy were bookings for midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and defender Fabio Cannavaro, and both will miss their final group match against Bulgaria, along with Totti. Bulgaria, already eliminated after their 2-0 defeat to Denmark earlier, will probably not pose too much of a threat to Italy if they show this kind of form again next Tuesday. With Alessandro Nesta and Cannavaro outstanding at the back and Gianluigi Buffon unbeatable in goal, Italy had looked impregnable. The tireless running of Gattuso and Simone Perrotta in midfield limited Sweden’s options — so much so that their leading striker Henrik Larsson was limited to watching and waiting — and he did not have a goal attempt until midway through the second half when he blasted high and wide.
Sweden, needing a win to ensure a quarterfinal place, looked lively on the break at times and both Fredrik Ljungberg and Ibrahimovic went close in the first half but failed to find the target until his late goal saved a point.
Earlier, it was the Danes who called the shots.
After Jon Dahl Tomasson had put the Danes ahead just before halftime, substitute Jesper Gronkjaer added a late second to mark his return to the team following the death of his mother.
Gronkjaer’s teammates rushed to embrace the winger after the goal, which he celebrated with a clenched fist and scream into a camera lens.
He wiped tears from his eyes with his red jersey when he walked back for the restart of the match.
Bulgaria, thrashed 5-0 by Sweden in their opening match, never threatened to score and following a succession of bookings their frustration was complete when captain Stilian Petrov was sent off seven minutes from time.
The Danes dominated the first half but had to wait until the 44th minute to break the deadlock, Tomasson tapping into an empty net after good approach work from Thomas Gravesen and Martin Joergensen. The goal ensured Denmark did not notch up a record five successive matches at European Championships without scoring.
Gronkjaer, who joined the squad late because of his mother’s sudden death from cancer last week and missed the 0-0 draw with Italy, started on the bench but came on for the injured Dennis Rommedahl in the 23rd minute.
He also learned earlier yesterday that his club Chelsea had agreed to sell him to premier league rivals Birmingham City.
Bulgaria’s best chance, at the end of the first half, ended with a Martin Petrov mishit straight to keeper Thomas Sorensen after a good one-two with Dimitar Berbatov.
Bulgaria coach Plamen Markov had said he wanted his team to show a different face although he probably did not mean their rather violent image at the end when they reacted after the referee dismissed their penalty appeals.
