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Gyokeres Hat-Trick Sends Swedes Through to World Cup Playoff Showdown ...
Viktor Gyokeres scored three goals including a penalty to secure Sweden’s first qualifying win and a playoff spot against Poland, after a poor group stage performance.
- On Thursday, striker Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat-trick to send Sweden past Ukraine in Valencia, securing a World Cup playoff spot and 90 minutes from the finals.
- Gyokeres opened the scoring in the sixth minute from Benjamin Nygren's cross, then doubled Sweden's lead early in the second half off a long ball from Kristoffer Nordfeldt before converting a penalty against Anatoliy Trubin on 71 minutes.
- Playing on neutral ground due to the ongoing war, Ukraine struggled to create pressure on Swedish keeper Nordfeldt; Matviy Ponomarenko scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute as coach Serhiy Rebrov said, "We finished the match well, but it wasn't enough."
- Sweden's win moves the team to the cusp of a second World Cup appearance in 20 years, with coach Graham Potter stating, "It's a huge step forward for the team."
- Sweden will face Poland in Stockholm next Tuesday to decide qualification for the expanded 48-team finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with Poland having advanced after beating Albania 2-1.
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24 Articles
24 Articles
Viktor Gyökeres fired Sweden a step closer to the World Cup after a hat-trick show against Ukraine. Now we have a playoff final against Poland at home in Stockholm on Tuesday. — It's lan
·Stockholm, Sweden
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left6Leaning Right6Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution35% Left, 35% Right
Bias Distribution
- 35% of the sources lean Left, 35% of the sources lean Right
35% Right
L 35%
C 30%
R 35%
Factuality
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