Key events<\/p>\n
35 mins: Gyokeres is doing well to win fouls, earning his side a few valuable seconds of respite.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 mins: France<\/a> are flexing their muscles now. Rabiot pings a fireball of a shot from 30 yards and it whizzes and inch over the bar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 mins: HOW DOES IT NOT GO IN?! Kounde makes a smart run and picks out Mbappe in space 10 yards out but he sidefoots the ball agains the post. It may not matter as the ball rebounds off Lindelof and is heading into the corner until Zetterstrom gleefully collects.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 mins: Dembele has another corner on the right but once again a Swedish head is first to meet it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 mins: France<\/a> have a corner on the right which Dembele jogs over to take. It is taken short and the belated cross is header clear with ease.<\/p>\n Danger for Sweden<\/a> as Rabiot has a chance inside the box, smashing a low shot across the goalkeeper who repels it with a big boot.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28 mins: Rabiot bundles over Ayari, allowing the Brighton midfielder to take a very smart free-kick along the ground to catch out France<\/a>. Isak runs onto the pass but his finish does not match the invention.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 mins: The France<\/a> players seem to wander through the sprinklers, and who can blame them?<\/p>\n We are playing again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Julian Borrill says: \u201cJustin Kavanagh\u2019s lack of confidence, Sweden<\/a> can take heart from the fact that all the real magic was done by Hermione Grahamger.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ll take your word for it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 mins: HYDRATION BREAK! <\/p>\n It is booed but it is very hot there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 mins: The offside was very tight and it offers a remind of what Mbappe brings to the party. The review graphic is shown on the big screen and it is tight but a good call.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 mins: NO GOAL! Mbappe is played through one-on-one and slides the ball into the corner. He wheels away to celebrate but is called for a very tight offside. The checks do not offer a reprieve for the France<\/a> captain.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 mins: The free-kick is punted long, reaching Lagerbielke inside the box but his touch is a poor one and the danger evaporates.<\/p>\n Down the other end, Barcola offers a few shuffles and jinks as he runs through the midfield and into the box but his shot is always rising over the bar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18 mins: Mbappe has a dig but it is a mundane effort and gobbled up by the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n Gudmundsson says the ball down to Gyokeres down the line, he does well to hold it up and is then held back by Saliba, allowing him to take the option to go down. Sweden<\/a> have a free-kick on the flank and a chance to lift it into the box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 16 mins: Dembele goes on a mazy run but it takes him sideways rather than forwards. The move, however, continues as France<\/a> take their time. The ball eventually reaches Kounde on the right, from where he crosses and wins a corner, which is header clear. Digne collects and flashes a shot from 30 yards but the goalkeeper gets down and holds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 mins: Zetterstrom pings a clearance all the way to Maignan. I would suggest it is an indication of Sweden\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n Charles Antaki says: \u201cI suppose France<\/a> have had to play with white, rather than blue, shorts because of the clash with the Swedish kit, though it does seem extremely unlikely that that would lead to any confusion (maybe if somebody\u2019s bum scores a goal?). Anyway I don\u2019t approve of the red white and blue effect; too literally the colours of the flag. For some reason it works for Bulgaria, but in that case the green, white and red in their flag are horizontal so it kind of makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 mins: Sweden<\/a> have looked decent so far, relatively composed on the ball but I would suggest they should just swing in a cross for the two strikers to attack, instead of being slow around the box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 mins: Elanga looks permanently ready to pounce when Sweden<\/a> are battling to get the ball back. In fairness, he could have a lot of success against Digne.<\/p>\n Stephen McCrossan pens: \u201cLike most people, I don\u2019t reckon Sweden have much of a chance this evening.<\/p>\n \u201cAlready up against it, I see they have left Scottish football\u2019s most baffling player of the year – Celtic\u2019s Benjamin Nygren – on the bench.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the season just finished the bold Benji demonstrated an amazing capacity to be extremely lightweight and disappear from games for hours at a time and yet still be the glorious Hoops\u2019 top scorer.<\/p>\n \u201cTactical error by the lad Potter.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 mins: Olise is the latest player to be fouled. There have been a few niggly fouls early on to disrupt France<\/a>. It will be interesting to see how many the referee lets go before getting his cards out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 6 mins: It is rather hot in New Jersey, so the hydration break will at least will be well-deserved today.<\/p>\n Everyone in yellow is currently behind the ball. Sweden<\/a> win it back in their own half and unleash their cunning plan of sending it up the pitch and allowing Elanga to chase. It works but France regroup and close him down.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4 mins: Ally McCoist is not a fan of the pitch. Suggests it\u2019s an underwhelming surface.<\/p>\n Sweden at the ball forward quickly and it reaches Isak on the edge of the box but his shot is deflected into the arms of the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n Dembele has his first real involvement but that is curtailed by a foul.<\/p>\n Sweden’s forward Alexander Isak shoots. Photograph: Timothy A Clary\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.11 EDT<\/p>\n 2 mins: Digne is caught by Bergvall and offers a little scream to prove he\u2019s been fouled.<\/p>\n Looks more like a 4-4-2 from Sweden<\/a> at the moment with Elanga on the right of midfield.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Kick off<\/p>\n Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Justin Kavanagh is not confident of any wizardry from the Swedes. \u201cI don\u2019t think even Harry Potter would be able to conjure up a win for the Swedes tonight,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here come the players!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Richard Hirst suggests: \u201cAlthough I live in France and am therefore constitutionally obliged to support France I think this writing off of Sweden<\/a> is a bit premature. I see at least extra time.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s quite late for people working on this game in the UK, so let\u2019s try and avoid that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Julian Menz lands in the inbox once more: \u201cSome early signs of cautious optimism\/the Hembr\u00e4nt (moonshine) kicking in here. It\u2019s probably going to get a bit interesting if Sweden<\/a> score, but it\u2019s not my stuga.<\/p>\n \u201cThat Swedish team is good enough to bother most teams at the WC, but France is one step too far. Swedes seem to have a keen sense of irony though, and realise that they have more wins in the WC than they collected during qualifying.<\/p>\n \u201cFor anyone who doesn\u2019t understand the Swedish national anthem btw, it\u2019s typically optimistic, and ends with \u2018I want to die in the North\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Peter Oh emails: \u201cThe Sweden women\u2019s team achieved a third-place finish at their last World Cup<\/a>, in 2023. Could you ask Julian if he and his bit-chomping Swedish comrades reckon that the achievement will be matched by the Menz, I mean, men\u2019s team?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I am suspicious Mbappe will be top of this list come full-time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Colin Livingstone gets in touch to say: :As an Evertonian, I wince every time I hear name of Digne or see his photo, due to the pain of losing such a talented player thanks to the ineptitude of a complete clown of a manager.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole managerial merry-go-round of failure is so baffling.\u201d<\/p>\n Glory days.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kylian Mbappe is primed.<\/p>\n Kylian Mbappe jogs out to warm up. Photograph: Daniela Porcelli\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Julian Menz emails: \u201cI\u2019m sat here in the middle of Sweden<\/a> with a bunch of heavily fortified Swedes. The mood is what it must have felt like when the aristocrats were queuing up for the Guillotine.<\/p>\n \u201dHope springs eternal though!\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Matan emails: \u201cDo you give Sweden<\/a> a prayer today? France could be got at defensively, but I fear Potter\u2019s side will be crushed by the attacking force of Les Bleus.\u201d<\/p>\n I suspect they will get beaten well but they do have an exciting front three. I fear, however, France<\/a> will give them the runaround at the other end.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I once shook Lucas Digne\u2019s hand at a Michael Jackson tribute night. That\u2019s my only link to tonight\u2019s match.<\/p>\n Lucas Digne wanders into the stadium. Photograph: Adam Hunger\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Wrap your eyeballs around Football Daily.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Starting lineups<\/p>\n France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe<\/p>\n Subs: Samba, Risser, Gusto, Konate, T Hernandez, L Hernandez, Lacroix, Kone, Kante, Zaire-Emery, Cherki, Akliouche, Thuram, Doue, Mateta<\/p>\n Sweden (3-4-3): Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Lindelof, Gudmundsson; Svensson, Stroud, Bergvall, Ayari; Isak, Gyokeres, Elanga,<\/p>\n Subs: V Johansson, Nordfeldt, H Johansson, Ekdal, Starfelt, Smith, Bernardsson, Nygren, Sema, Karlstrom, Svanberg, Zeneli, Nilsson, Ali<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.25 EDT<\/p>\n I wonder if Elanga will get a start tonight as Potter may consider the extra pace and trying to give the French full-backs somthing to think about.<\/p>\n Anthony Elanga<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sweden coach Graham Potter has said his team would have to produce something special to beat France.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have quality all over… They have won the World Cup<\/a> before and they have a fantastic manager,\u201d Potter said. \u201cAn exciting challenge awaits us, and we will have to play the game of our lives, clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Elsewhere \u2026 Jonathan Wilson was in Dallas to see Norway defeat Cote d\u2019Ivoire and set up a clash with Brazil.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Alexander Isak is in attendance.<\/p>\n Alexander Isak walks into the stadium. Photograph: Petter Arvidson\/BILDBYR\u00c5N\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Mbappe has been impressive thus far but he still has a couple more gears. Will he show them in this match?<\/p>\n Kylian Mbappe<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n This is ruddy impressive from our creative genius Jonny Weeks.<\/p>\n Valderrama, Chong, Los Angeles Stadium and Maradona. Composite: Guardian Picture DeskShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.26 EDT<\/p>\n Pre-match reading.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Hello one and all!<\/p>\n After a couple of relative shocks on Monday, Sweden<\/a> could be eyeing another here tonight. There is plenty of quality in Graham Potter\u2019s squad, with the strike pairing of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres the envy of many countries. If they can align up top, they will cause a lot of problems.<\/p>\n