**_VALENCIA_** – Sweden are 90 minutes from a place in the World Cup finals after striker Viktor Gyokeres scored a superb hat-trick to sweep aside Ukraine and set up a winner-takes-all playoff game against Poland in Stockholm.
Playing in their alternate kit of blue shirts, shorts and socks, the Swedes took an early lead when Benjamin Nygren flashed the ball across the box and Gyokeres was on hand to stab it into the net from close range in the sixth minute, rocking the Ukrainians back on their heels.
The best of Ukraine’s early chances fell to Vladyslav Vanat at the near post midway through the first half, and though he managed to flick the ball over Swedish keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, it was just off target and there was no-one on hand to turn it into the empty net.
With the game being played in Spain because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Serhiy Rebrov’s side battled bravely, but they struggled to create pressure on the Swedish goal, and when they did they found Nordfeldt in inspired form between the posts.
The Ukrainians found themselves two goals down six minutes into the second half as Nordfeldt launched a long ball for Gyokeres, and he latched onto it and cut inside before unleashing a quick-fire shot that took Ukraine keeper Anatoliy Trubin by surprise, flying past him and into the net.
The game was effectively decided in the 71st minute when Gyokeres was again played in behind and Trubin felled him in the box to give away a penalty and earn a yellow card, with the 27-year-old striker dusting himself off to complete his hat-trick by blasting the resulting spot kick into the net. Ukraine grabbed a consolation goal through Matviy Ponomarenko in the 90th minute
**Poland hit back**
Poland came from behind to beat Albania 2-1 and reach the World Cup playoff finals on Thursday, with Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski netting second-half goals to set up a Path B decider away to Sweden on Tuesday.
Arber Hoxha put Albania ahead three minutes from the break but their bid to reach their first World Cup ended in Warsaw as Poland maintained their perfect playoff record, having qualified for the last World Cup and Euro 2024 by the same route.
Poland started brightly, with Albania’s Elseid Hysaj clearing off the line from Jakub Kiwior’s header, but the hosts failed to capitalise on their early energy and allowed the visitors to settle into the game and take the lead.
Polish defender Jan Bednarek failed to control a long ball and Hoxha stole in, rounded the keeper and slotted into the empty net.
Albania missed a gilt-edged chance to double their advantage with Poland outnumbered at the back. Hysaj rolled the perfect ball across to Nedim Bajrami who took too long to get a shot away and eventually blasted his effort wide.
Lewandowski levelled with a header at the back post from a corner in the 63rd minute and 10 minutes later Zielinski smashed a first-time shot from outside the area into the corner of the net, keeping Poland on course for a third consecutive finals appearance.
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