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Sundhage hails Schelin's five-star Sweden show

Sweden coach Pia Sundhage paid tribute to star forward Lotta Schelin after she inspired the hosts to their 5-0 defeat of neighbours Finland and a place at the Group A summit.

Sundhage hails Schelin's five-star Sweden show
Sundhage hails Schelin's five-star Sweden show ©UEFA.com

Pia Sundhage, Sweden coach
We managed to play at a fast pace. We got Caroline Seger and Marie Hammarström involved in the game. Above all, we won the ball higher up the field than in the previous game.

Looking back at our matches, we have always started positively, going forward and creating chances. It's important to maintain that pressure. We didn't do it against Denmark, but we did today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: my own confidence gets a boost when Lotta [Schelin] scores. The two goals that she scores, and particularly the way she scores them. Look at how Kosovare Asllani and Lotta work together for 4–0, that's brilliant. At 5–0, when she scores with her head it's very skillfully done. Those two goals, the way she scores them, gives me confidence. I think she and the team feel the same. So it means a lot.

Andrée Jeglertz, Finland coach
I feel quite empty. They were so much better than us today, no doubt about that. They were sharper and more determined in everything they did. Sometimes that happens, there's nothing to do about it.

It was important for the players also to understand that sometimes you play against an opponent that is on a better level than you, individually and as a team. That's reality. This evening and during part of tomorrow we will see what we can develop for the next game.

The tournament is still alive for us, we have a game on Tuesday. If this game still weighs on us for longer than tonight and tomorrow, then we will have problems on Tuesday too. As soon as possible, we need to get over this game and look forward to the match on Tuesday.

Conceding three goals from set-pieces is a bit unnecessary but I think they had 21 corners, so... When the service is as good as it was for Sweden today, it's extremely difficult to defend, no matter how good you are in the box. The service that they had today was the best I've seen in a very long time.

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