Sweden lift Euro U21 crown with shootout win over Portugal

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Sweden goalkeeper Patrik Carlgren saved two penalties as they beat Portugal 4-3 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw in the Euro Under-21 Championship final on Tuesday.

Sweden lift Euro U21 crown with shootout win over Portugal

(Reuters)





Carlgren threw himself to his right to save William Carvalho's spot kick and claim the crown for Sweden sparking joyous celebrations among the players and coaches.

Portugal looked the better side for much of the game. with Ricardo driving an early shot wide of the left-hand post and captain Sergio Oliveira crashing a free kick against the bar.

The Swedes battled their way into the game, creating a few half-chances of their own but often conceding possession for long periods to their more skilful opponents.

Undaunted, Sweden almost took the lead at the start of the second half, John Guidetti firing narrowly over the bar, but they were soon spending much of the game on the back foot again, with Portugal dictating the tempo until they tired late on.

Guidetti almost snatched a later winner for the Swedes but he missed a glorious chance and the final whistle went with the game still scoreless and the half-hour of extra time failed to produce a goal to separate the sides.

Each team converted three penalties before Carlgren saved from Toze. Portugal's Jose Sa, who had conceded one goal in five games in the tournament, then saved Abdullah Khalili's effort.

Both sides converted their next spot kicks before Carlgren saved Carvalho's penalty, triggering scenes of wild jubilation among the thousands of fans who had traveled to the Czech Republic to witness Sweden's first victory in a Euro final.





(Reporting by Philip O'Connor in Stockholm; editing by Ken Ferris)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world