Larsson magic sends Bulgaria into despair

Sweden 5 Bulgaria 0

The departing Celtic striker produced two moments of magic within as many minutes to transform an even contest into one-sided affair by taking his tally against the Bulgarians to seven in six appearances.

Fredrik Ljungberg had already edged the Swedes in front with a 32nd-minute tap-in to shade a tight first half, but Larsson’s brilliant diving header 12 minutes after the break gave them breathing space and a second exquisite finish a minute later put them out of sight.

The 32-year-old still does not know where he will be playing his club football next season after announcing his decision to leave Parkhead.

Barcelona yesterday became the 30th club to express an interest in acquiring his services, but his performance here will have served to intensify the race for his signature.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it four with a 78th-minute penalty as the Swedish fans began to party. Substitute Marcus Allback added a fifth at the death after being set up by Larsson, but the damage had been done long before as his side opened a major tournament with a victory for the first time since the 1958 World Cup finals.

The crushing defeat extended Bulgaria’s miserable run against Sweden to eight defeats and two draws in their last 10 meetings.

It is now 10 years since the previously unheralded Bulgarians threatened to upset the established order by finishing third at the 1994 World Cup with the mercurial Hristo Stoichkov at the heart of their efforts.

But if Plamen Markov’s current crop do not perhaps enjoy the reputation of the predecessors, they certainly play attractive football and were more than a match for the Swedes in the opening 45 minutes.

The invention of Zoran Jankovich, playing behind lone striker Dimitar Berbatov, represented a regular threat, and, with good support from Martin Petrov wide on the left, they played with endeavour and skill to keep the Swedish defence on their toes.

Marian Hristov’s seventh-minute penalty appeals were optimistic, but Jankovich went just wide with a technically excellent volley nine minutes later and Martin Petrov was unfortunate to see his low drive skid just outside Andreas Isaksson’s left post with 25 minutes gone.

Berbatov forced a fingertip save from Isaksson with a looping header two minutes later, but although Bulgaria continued to threaten, the tide had already started to turn.

Ivailo Petkov, Rossen Kirilov and Jankovich were all booked by English referee Mike Riley inside five minutes. By then, as Larsson and Ibrahimovic started to liven up, the alarm bells were ringing.

Larsson fired inches over after meeting Mikael Nilsson’s 22nd-minute cross at full stretch, but the deadlock was ultimately broken 10 minutes later.

Nilsson was the provider again, sliding the ball inside Petkov for Ibrahimovic to spring the offside trap and head for goal before unselfishly squaring for Ljungberg to tap home the opener.

If the Swedes left the pitch the happier, Bulgaria could hardly be unsatisfied with their efforts. Both teams returned knowing that they were still very much in a tight game.

However, that all changed within 13 minutes thanks to the brilliance of Larsson.

Bulgaria had started the second half in determined fashion with Martin Petrov firing just wide again. But after Ljungberg had failed to convert a 48th-minute one-on-one with Zdravko Zdravkov after being played in by Ibrahimovic, Larsson showed both men exactly how it is done.

There were 57 minutes on the clock when he dived at the far post to meet Erik Edman’s inviting cross with an emphatic header to make it 2-0.

But if that was a goal for the cameras, the one he collected a minute later said everything about his technique.

Anders Svensson’s ball sailed across goal and well wide of the far post, but while many strikers might have took a wild swing at it, the man who has made life a misery for defenders in Scotland for the last few years steered it with power and accuracy into the roof of the net with his left foot to put the result beyond any reasonable doubt.

The dispirited Bulgarians visibly wilted and might have fallen further behind on 72 minutes when Ibrahimovic worked his way clear only to be he was denied by Zdravkov’s bravery.

However, the respite was only temporary and after Ljungberg had been felled by full-back Vladimir Ivanov, the Ajax striker made no mistake from the penalty spot to make the 4-0.

There was still enough time for Allback to help himself to a fifth with injury time running down as Sweden laid down their marker for the tournament.

SWEDEN: Isaksson, Edman, Jakobsson, Mellberg, Lucic (Wilhelmsson 41), Ljungberg, Linderoth, Nilsson, Ibrahimovic (Allback 81), Svensson (Kallstrom 76), Larsson.

BULGARIA: Zdravkov, Ivaylo Petkov, Pazhin, Kirilov, Ivanov, Martin Petrov (Lazarov 84), Hristov, Stilian Petrov, Peev, Yankovich (Dimitrov 62), Berbatov (Manchev 76).

Referee: Michael Riley England