Newcastle's Alexander Isak was delighted to play a full 90 minutes for Sweden

By SABC Sport
26th March 2025

Alexander Isak was not taken off the pitch to rest, despite Sweden cruising to a dominant 5-1 victory over Northern Ireland in a friendly match.

The 25-year-old Newcastle United striker had an influential role, not only scoring a long-range goal but also providing an assist in a comprehensive team performance.

Isak set the tone early, assisting Emil Holm for Sweden's opening goal. But it was in the second half that Isak truly made his mark, scoring from distance to extend Sweden's lead to 4-0, a goal that highlighted his impressive shooting ability.

His performance was all the more notable given Sweden's recent disappointing 1-0 loss to Luxembourg.

Sweden's coach, Jon Dahl Tomasson, praised Isak's dedication and loyalty, choosing to leave him on the pitch despite the game being well in hand.

Tomasson's decision was a testament to his faith in Isak's leadership and work ethic, and the striker's presence was vital in maintaining Sweden's attacking momentum throughout the match.

"I wanted to score," said Isak. "It came a little late. Up until the goal I didn't think about coming off. After that it was a pretty comfortable match so it didn't feel that dangerous to play.

"I've come here and then you want to play, otherwise it's unnecessary. But Jon didn't want to substitute me and I felt like playing. Then it's almost two weeks until our next match, so there's plenty of time for recovery."