Ukraine vs Sweden

Sweden swept aside Ukraine 3-1 in their World Cup qualifying playoff semifinal, with Viktor Gyökeres delivering a stunning hat trick at the Estadi Ciutat de València. The Swedes were ruthless from the off and never looked back. Gyökeres needed just six minutes to open the scoring, catching Ukraine's defence cold early on. He struck again on 51 minutes to double the advantage before converting from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute to complete his treble. Despite dominating possession, Ukraine struggled to create clear-cut chances against a disciplined Swedish rearguard. Matvii Ponomarenko grabbed a consolation for the hosts deep in stoppage time, but it was nothing more than a footnote on Gyökeres' night. Sweden march on to the playoff final with real momentum, while Ukraine's World Cup hopes now hang by a thread.