After the 5-0 victory on Friday, the return in the playoff meeting against Bosnia-Herzegovina now awaits. The women’s national team have put themselves in a very good position to secure the place in the Nations League A division which is up for grabs tonight. Kick-off takes place at 18.30 at Tele2 Arena. The match is broadcast on SVT 2 and SVT Play.
Five scouts before the match
The conditions before the match
In tonight’s match, a place in the Nations League A division is up for grabs. Sweden have put themselves in an excellent position to take the place after last week’s clear 5-0 victory down in Bosnian Zenica. Sweden can thus afford to lose by four balls and still secure the place in the A-division. If Bosnia-Herzegovina wins the match by five goals, extra time awaits. If Bosnia-Herzegovina wins by six goals or more, Sweden loses its place in the A division and has to play in the B division during the year. As the next cycle of the Nations League acts as a qualifier for Euro 2025 in Switzerland, it is important to remain in the A division to improve their chances of reaching the Euro 2025 play-offs. The winners and runners-up from all four groups in the Nations League A division go namely directly to the EC. The threes and fours go to the playoffs, as do the ones, twos and threes in the B division, just as the ones and the three best twos in the C division also do.
The women’s national team returns to Stockholm after two years
For the first time since the summer of 2022, the women’s national team is playing in Stockholm again. The most recent women’s international match in Stockholm ended with a 3-1 victory against Brazil in a training international match in front of a record crowd of 33,218, which is thus the women’s national team’s highest attendance ever.
Close roof and over 10,000 tickets sold
Today’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Tele2 Arena will be played behind closed doors. Currently, around 12,000 tickets have been sold as the teams settle for a place in the Nations League A division.
Successful comeback for Pauline Hammarlund
In last week’s meeting against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pauline Hammarlund made a long-awaited comeback in the blue and yellow suit. The forward was replaced in the second half and only three minutes had she found the goal when she headed in a corner from close range to make it 4-0. The national championship was Hammarlund’s first since autumn 2020.
Swedish acquaintance in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s squad
20-year-old Elma Smajic was born and raised in Sweden and has four seasons behind her from Swedish elite football. First three seasons in the Allsvenskan with Växjö and IFK Kalmar where she accumulated 36 games in total. Last year she played for IFÖ Bromölla in Elitettan and for this year she moved abroad when she signed for Hungarian Diosgyöri. Last year she made her debut in the Bosnian women’s national team and in last week’s meeting against Sweden she jumped after an hour of play.
The coach quote
– With the 5-0 victory from the first match, it opens up opportunities to see some other players in tonight’s match. We have such a good squad and we have some players that we will match here today. It is important to be able to see some other players in this milieu salary, says union captain Peter Gerhardsson.
Mutual meetings
Sweden: 3 wins | 9 goals scored | 0 goals conceded
Draws: 0 matches
Bosnia-Herzegovina: 0 wins | 0 goals scored | 9 goals conceded
That’s how it went last time
Sweden won the first playoff match against Bosnia-Herzegovina away in Zenica last week with a comfortable 5-0. Madelen Janogy opened the scoring in the first half with a double headed goal that gave Sweden a 2-0 lead. At the end of the second half it rattled with three more Swedish goals. First, Filippa Angeldahl scored 3-0 on a half-volley after a fine play by substitute Anna Anvegård, which also set the final score at 5-0. In between, it was another substitute in the form of Pauline Hammarlund who scored 4-0. The countries’ two previous meetings came from the 2013/14 World Cup qualifiers, where Sweden won both matches.
Bosnien-Hercegovina i Nations League
Belarus – Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-2
Bosnia-Herzegovina – Slovenia 1-1
Bosnia-Herzegovina – Czech Republic 1-0
Czech Republic – Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-2
Slovenia – Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Belarus 1-0
Bosnia-Herzegovina – Sweden 0-5
Sweden – Bosnia-Herzegovina | February 28 | Playoffs
The scorers: Milena Nikolic 3, Maja Jelcic 2, Andrea Gavric, Alma Krajnic, Minela Gacanica
Latest starting eleven (Bosnia-Herzegovina – Sweden 0-5, Nations League)
Jelena Gvozderac
Gloria Sliskovic – Marija Milinkovic – Melisa Hasanbegovic
Dajana Spasojevic – Milena Nikolic (K) – Marija Aleksic – Maja Jelcic – Ena Sabanagic
Aida Hadzic – Amela Krso
The opponent profile
Milena Nikolic | 1992 | Forward | Basel
One of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s most meritorious and experienced players. Breakthrough at Serbian clubs Masinac and Spartak Subotica where she collected a total of three league titles and five cup titles. In the 2013/14 season, she also won the top scorer league in the Champions League when she scored eleven goals in five games for her Spartak Subotica. Ahead of the 2016 season, she signed for German SC Sand where she won a silver from the German Cup before moving to Bayer Leverkusen. Nowadays, she plays in Swiss Basel, where she joined last year. Has scored 20 goals in 61 international matches and is thus only six goals away from becoming Bosnia-Herzegovina’s top scorer on the women’s side.
The talent
Gloria Sliskovic | 2005 | Center back | Juventus
Only 18 years old, but has already reached double figures with international matches for his Bosnia-Herzegovina. Started in five of the country’s six games in the autumn’s Nations League, mostly as a centre-back, but also substituted as a full-back and defensive midfielder. Despite her young age, she won the double in her home country with SFK 2000 in both 2021/22 and 2022/23. She then joined Juventus last year where she already has a Super Cup title. Seen as Bosnia-Herzegovina’s great future promise together with the one-year-younger forward Maja Jelcic, who plays for Inter.
Troup of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Goalkeepers: Jelena Gvozderac (ŽNK Emina), Indira Faković (SFK 2000 Sarajevo), Envera Hasanbegović (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)
Backing: Ena Šabanagić (Fomget GSK), Nina Brnić (ŽNK Hajduk), Melisa Hasanbegović (Braga), Amela Kršo (SFK 2000 Sarajevo), Emma Veletanlić (Kolding IF), Gloria Slišković (Juventus)
Midfielder: Marija Aleksić (Beşiktaş JK), Marija Ana Milinković (FC Inter), Dajana Spasojević (SFK 2000 Sarajevo), Elma Smajić (DVTK), Aida Hadžić (Trabzonspor), Alma Krajnić (SFK 2000 Sarajevo), Elma Husić (ŽNK Emina), Selma Hasić (ŽFK Radnik Boomerang)
Forwards: Nikolina Milović (ŽFK Red Star), Una Rankić (ŽFK Leotar), Sofija Krajšumović (ŽFK Red Star), Maja Jelčić (FC Inter), Milena Nikolić (FC Basel), Minela Gačanica (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)
The national team captain: Samira Hurem
Facts Bosnia-Herzegovina
Number of ECs: 0 | Best results: –
Number of WC: 0 | Best results: –
Number of Olympics: 0 | Best results: –
Merits: –
World ranking: 64
Highest rank: 57 (March 2018, December 2020)
Most caps: Sabina Pehic, 101 caps
Most national team goals: Sabina Pehic, 26 goals
Sweden in the Nations League
Sweden – Spain 2-3
Italy – Sweden 0-1
Sweden – Switzerland 1-0
Sweden – Italy 1-1
Switzerland – Sweden 1-0
Spain – Sweden 5-3
Bosnia-Herzegovina – Sweden 0-5
Sweden – Bosnia-Herzegovina | February 28 | Playoffs
The scorers: Madelen Janogy 2, Magdalena Eriksson 2, Lina Hurtig, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Linda Sembrant, Julia Zigiotti Olme, Kosovare Asllani, Stina Blackstenius, Filippa Angeldahl, Pauline Hammarlund, Anna Anvegård
Latest starting eleven (Bosnia-Herzegovina – Sweden 0-5, Nations League)
Jennifer Falk
Hanna Lundkvist – Linda Sembrant (K) – Nathalie Björn – Jonna Andersson
Filippa Angeldahl – Rosa Kafaji – Julia Zigiotti Olme
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – Stina Blackstenius – Madelen Janogy
Sweden’s squad
Goalkeepers: Tove Enblom (Vålerenga IF), Jennifer Falk (BK Häcken), Zecira Musovic (Chelsea)
Backing: Jonna Andersson (Hammarby IF), Nathalie Björn (Chelsea), Emma Kullberg (Brighton), Hanna Lundkvist (San Diego Wave), Amanda Nildén (Tottenham), Josefine Rybrink (BK Häcken), Linda Sembrant (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders/Forwards: Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City), Anna Anvegård (BK Häcken), Kosovare Asllani (AC Milan), Hanna Bennison (Everton), Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal), Pauline Hammarlund (Fiorentina), Madelen Janogy (Fiorentina), Monica Jusu Bah (BK Häcken), Rosa Kafaji (BK Häcken), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea), Olivia Schough (FC Rosengård), Matilda Vinberg (Tottenham), Julia Zigiotti Olme (Brighton)
The national team captain: Peter Gerhardsson
Facts Sweden
Number of European Championships: 11 (by 2022) | Best result: European Championship gold (1984)
Number of World Cups: 9 (by 2023) | Best result: Silver (2003)
Number of Olympics: 7 (by 2021) | Best result: Silver (2016 & 2021)
Merit: EC gold 1984, EC silver 1987, 1995 & 2001, WC silver 2003, WC bronze 1991, 2011, 2019 & 2023, Olympic silver 2016 & 2021
World ranking: 5
Highest rank: 1 (August 2023)
Most international matches: Caroline Seger, 240 international matches
Most national team goals: Lotta Schelin, 88 goals
