Netherlands 1-1 Sweden; European Heavyweights Share the Spoils at Bramall Lane after enthralling Group C tie

Sweden established early dominance and took the lead over the defending champions

The highly-ranked Swedes started the game on the front foot, controlling the game with intricate passes. However, a horrible collision between two dutch defenders while leaping to clear a free-kick put the brakes on their good spell. The first chance of the game fell to Sweden as Filippa Angeldal broke free down the right and squared to the near post. Kosovare Asllani couldn’t take it first time, and she slammed her shot into the side-netting. 

Fridolina Rolfo tried an audacious attempt to lob Van Domselaar from 45 yards out. She wasn’t too far away from pulling off the near-impossible as the keeper looked beaten. Lieke Martens was next to have a go from far out, but her speculative strike did little to threaten. 

The Swedes broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. Aslanni nutmegged Chelsea’s Aniek Nouwen and pulled the ball back to Joanna Andersson, who side-footed the ball into the corner and wheeled away in joy. Netherlands 0-1 Sweden.

The Swedes were rapid in transition. After some lovely buildup play, Rolfo worked the ball wide to Andersson, who looked to find Lina Hurtig. However, her brave diving header was just wide. The dutch women looked to strike back after a lovely flowing move forward, but Danielle Van de Donk fired over with a wild swipe.

The Netherlands showed flashes of quality from time to time, but the Swedes looked well in control of the tie. They kept plugging away right until halftime. Hurtig headed wide after Van Domselaar was caught under a deep cross and struggled to get a clean punch to it. Sweden headed into the break with a well-deserved 1-0 lead.

The Netherlands bounced back to take a point

The Dutch started the second period brighter than they did the first, and in the 52nd minute, they had their leveller. Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema spun away from Amanda Ilestedt on the left and drove towards the box. Her pass to Martens on the right was cut out, but it broke to Jill Roord on the edge of the box. She made no mistake, rifling a low shot into the bottom corner. Netherlands 1-1 Sweden.

Miedema was at it again. This time, she crafted a chance for herself but failed to wrap her foot around the shot, and it went wide.

The Swedes came close to regaining the lead after Rolfo flashed a cross-shot across the goal. Van Domselaar was beaten, but the shot grazed the bar and went wide. Rolfo was next to test Van Domselaar as she swivelled and fired a left-footed shot at goal, forcing a corner off the Dutch goalkeeper. 

Sweden piled on the pressure at the embers of the game, but the Netherlands were resilient enough to see out the game for a draw. It finished Netherlands 1-1 Sweden. All four teams in Group C are on one point after Portugal came back from a goal down to draw Switzerland in the Group opener.