England Escape with Goalless Draw vs Sweden in 2017 European U-21 Championships
Sweden and England played out a goalless draw in their opening match in Group A of the 2017 European Under-21 Championship on Friday.
Everton record-signing Jordan Pickford was the hero for the Three Lions with 10 minutes remaining as he beat away a penalty from Linus Wahlqvist at the Kielce City Stadium in Kielce, Poland.
The defender made it easy for the stopper, who stood his ground and comfortably dealt with the poor effort.
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England had periods of dominance in the first half, but the Swedes worked their way into the encounter and almost stole the win as they increasingly grabbed control.
The game was a disappointing affair for the English side who lost their way as the match progressed through the second half.
England looked bouyant in the opening moments, threatening through Tammy Abraham and James Ward-Prowse.
Sweden took their time to warm up, but their defence rarely looked troubled by their opponents' attack.
Abraham worked hard but Nathan Redmond struggled to get into the match across the forward line.
In a game of few chances where neither goalkeeper was overly threatened, Sweden came out for the second half with a renewed attitude, making the Three Lions play on the back foot.
Paweł Cibicki almost broke the deadlock after 56 minutes as he beat Pickford, only to see his effort hit the woodwork.
England failed to create as Abraham ran the line, but they were clearly lacking as the Swedes turned the screw.
Three Lions coach Aidy Boothroyd cut a frustrated figure in the dugout as his side failed to keep a brisk tempo.
The game was turned on its head with 10 minutes remaining as Ben Chilwell's tackle wiped out Wahlqvist on the edge of the box.
The referee pointed to the spot, with Wahlqvist stepping up to take the kick, but Pickford stood tall and saved the effort with ease to spare his side's blushes.
BBC Sport highlighted the vital moment:
Neither side threatened with vigour in the final minutes and the teams were happy to share the points on a subdued night.
