Sweden seal place in Women’s World Cup last 16 with five-goal rout of Italy
A three-goal blitz just before half-time helped Sweden to a dominant 5-0 win over Italy in Wellington on Saturday.
Peter Gerhardsson’s side booked their spot in the knockout stages with a match to spare, as Amanda Ilestedt’s double inflicted Italy’s worst defeat in a Women’s World Cup game and Sweden’s biggest win at the tournament since 1991.
Ilestedt, who joined Arsenal this summer, scored the first of her two goals in the 39th minute when she got up well to head home Jonna Andersson’s corner, breaking the deadlock in what had been a fairly even contest up to that point.
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Italy had the better chances early in the first half with the Sweden goalkeeper, Zecira Musovic, twice forced into action to save from Sofia Cantore. They fell apart defensively after conceding, with Fridolina Rolfö scoring the second, Andersson again providing an assist from the corner.
Stina Blackstenius added a third from close range before half-time, converting Johanna Kaneryd’s cross from the right o end the game as a contest. Ilestedt’s second goal in the 50th minute was a carbon copy of the first, as the centre-back headed into the net from another Andersson delivery.
The Juventus forward Cantore missed chances in the 60th and 65th minutes and Valentina Giacinti spurned a great opportunity for Italy in the 87th minute, as she sent a shot soaring over the bar.
The Sweden substitute Rebecka Blomqvist then raced through on goal to complete Italy’s misery in stoppage time. “I’m impressed by these players – not [for] the first time, by the way,” Gerhardsson said afterwards. “It’s ingrained in their mentality to just keep going.”
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“The first half hour, we actually gave them a hard time,” the Italy coach Milena Bertolini said. “Then we spread out and when you’re not compact, [against] a team like Sweden, then you’re faced with difficulties. They have a lot of weapons.”
Although the result will be a hammer blow to Italy, they can still advance to the last 16 by avoiding defeat in their final Group G fixture against South Africa on Wednesday.