Sweden had victory within their grasp in their final home match before the World Cup — only to be pegged back by Greece in the 95th minute, with the 2-2 result leaving Graham Potter's side boarding their flight to North America in frustration.
Stoppage-time equalizer spoils the send-off
This pre-World Cup warm-up in front of the home fans did not start smoothly. Greece's Kostas Tsimikas opened the scoring early, leaving Sweden on the back foot. Birthday boy Viktor Gyokeres levelled with a free-kick, while strike partner Alexander Isak finally got more time alongside Gyokeres as the team found their rhythm after an early setback.
What truly ignited the stands was supersub Taha Ali. The Malmo winger, coming off the bench, cut inside repeatedly down the left within minutes and squared it across for Gustav Nilsson to tap home, putting Sweden 2-1 ahead. The hosts looked ready to pack up the goals, comeback and victory — until Georgios Masouras met Charalampos Kostoulas's cross in stoppage time to lock the score at 2-2.
"Cheap" defending becomes Potter's headache
Beyond the draw, what troubled Potter more was the defensive ledger. Sweden have conceded five goals in two friendlies, with 13 shipped in Potter's six official matches in charge and no clean sheets to show for it. The last time they kept a shutout over 90 minutes was a 2-0 win over Hungary on June 6 last year — defensive concerns existed before he took over and have now been repeatedly magnified.
"We have to be better in that area—we're giving the ball away too cheaply," Potter said bluntly after the match. "We can talk tactics all day, but when you hand the ball over this easily, the opposition will get dangerous chances." Captain Victor Lindelöf was absent for this game and is expected to return for the World Cup opener against Tunisia on June 15. Potter also hinted that with more than a week of training remaining before kick-off, several positions remain up for grabs, but a balance must be struck between stability and internal competition.
Ali answers squad controversy with an assist
Taha Ali's performance in this match landed right at the heart of the fiercest debate on social media. When he was named in the 26-man squad, he edged out La Liga duo Wiliot Swedberg and Roony Bardghji—drawing plenty of scepticism. Ali had made only one previous senior appearance, a friendly against Estonia in January 2024, and did not get a minute after being recalled for the playoffs. Isak admitted after the match that it was "not surprising," having seen similar moments in training, but said it was "still impressive to pull off that level in a competitive game."
From a narrative standpoint, Ali's assist was more than a technical payoff—it felt like a public answer to the logic behind his selection: while the star-studded front line carries the goal-scoring burden, a winger from outside the elite clubs responded with a line-breaking individual moment that turned "why him?" into "why not him?" For an attack led by Isak and Gyökeres, having another option who can threaten down the left carries value beyond a single assist.
Two tests still loom before the World Cup
On the rankings front, site data shows Sweden's FIFA ranking has climbed to 38th, up four places from the previous edition with 1,514.77 points—the uptick in the standings cannot mask the defensive alarm bells from this friendly. Sweden's opening World Cup group match against Tunisia is set for June 15, and with more than a week of collective training still ahead, Lindelöf's return, a defensive reshuffle, and front-line chemistry will all shape their confidence about advancing from the group.
Potter's troubles are clear: up front there are Gyökeres, Isak and a suddenly impressive Ali, but at the back they are still paying for cheap goals. Unless they turn the regret of this 2-2 draw into defensive discipline, opponents at the World Cup will not gift goals in stoppage time the way Greece did — Tunisia next will be the first test of whether Sweden can convert their attacking returns into points on the board.
