Soccer can create the most unlikely of alliances

ONE of the minor joys of European or World Cup tournaments is the way they throw up the most unlikely alliances between different nations.

Sweden and Denmark are divided by a small stretch of sea and a lot of history, so inevitably they’re sworn enemies on the football pitch.

In the last European finals in Portugal they were in the same group, and found themselves face-to-face in the last match, with the chance of both countries going through at the expense of Italy, if they each got a point.