Sweden strike late winner to down Ireland at Stockholm’s Friends Arena

Amber Barrett was a late substitute in the Republic of Ireland WNT's 1-0 loss to Sweden on Tuesday night.

Following on from a 3-0 loss to the same side on Friday, Ireland played a game of containment and almost got over the line, only to concede an 84th-minute winner in their Euro 2025 qualifying group. 

Barrett, a native of Milford and on the books of Belgian Super League club Standard Liège, had been introduced five minutes beforehand and St Johnston's Tyler Toland, who plays for Blackburn Rovers, was an unused substitute on the night. 

Magdalena Eriksson’s 84th-minute breakthrough proved to be the winner. Jonna Andersson's corner landed in the six-yard box and the ball flicked off the Bayern Munich player for the only goal at Stockholm’s Friends Arena. The rub salt in the Irish wounds, Eriksson had avoided a second yellow having taken down Leanne Kiernan earlier in the second half. 

The result means Ireland have lost four from four in the group, having opened with a 1-0 defeat in France and 2-0 loss to England at the Aviva Stadium. Ireland now face a visit to England, with Katie McCabe suspended having been booked in Sweden, and a home clash with France remaining.

The top two teams from Group A3 will qualify automatically for the finals tournament in Switzerland, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter into a play-off series to be played in October and November/December.