Overview
- Viktor Gyokeres scored in the 6th and 51st minutes and then from a 71st-minute penalty to beat Ukraine 3-1 in Valencia on Thursday, in what Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov called a display by “one of the best strikers in Europe.”
- The victory set a Path B final in Solna on Tuesday, March 31, against Poland, who beat Albania 2-1 with Robert Lewandowski scoring, for a direct berth at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
- The result marked Graham Potter’s first competitive win as Sweden coach and came in his third match in charge.
- Sweden reached the play-offs despite earning only two points from six group games, advancing via UEFA’s Nations League ranking that gives another path to teams that underperformed in qualifying groups.
- Ukraine played this “home” tie in Spain because the team cannot host games during the war, a long-running disruption that strips home advantage and adds travel strain for players and supporters.