Luxembourg – followed by the winner between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
This is the obstacle for the Swedish women's national team on their way to the European Championship in Switzerland next year.
The Swedish women's football team's path to the 2025 European Championship goes via playoffs after France and England took the two direct spots in Sweden's qualifying group.
There, sixth-ranked Sweden will face Luxembourg, ranked 116th in the world, in the first of two double matches.
We don't know much about them, but we have many months to find out everything. We will find out their strengths and weaknesses, says national team coach Peter Gerhardsson at a press conference.
"Feels very good"
A key for Sweden will be to get the goal-scoring going properly.
We have only scored six goals (in the European Championship qualifiers), despite spending the most time on it, it's still the part I feel hasn't been good enough, says Gerhardsson and continues:
It's about confidence in the players, but also in us as a team that we can create scoring opportunities. We feel that we need to get better in one-on-one situations and be more effective. It's definitely a part that I feel we can hopefully improve on for the 2025 European Championship.
Another key will be that all players, unlike in the European Championship qualifying matches against France and England in mid-July, will be in match form when the double match takes place in October.
It feels very good, it's in October, so we have time to prepare, and we have a window where all players are in good form, says Gerhardsson.
If Sweden advances from the double match against Luxembourg, the winner between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia awaits in another double match. Those matches will be decided in the November-December period.
Met in February
Bosnia-Herzegovina (ranked 62nd in the world) met Sweden as recently as in February in the qualifying matches to stay in the A-division of the Nations League. Then it was a win both at home and away with 5–0.
Serbia (34) has never met Sweden, but when the country was in a union with Montenegro (independent since 2006) the countries played against each other in the 2003-2004 European Championship qualifiers. Then Sweden won with 4–0 and 5–1.
Already qualified for the 2025 European Championship are host nation Switzerland, along with France, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Iceland.
Qualified for the 2025 European Championship: Switzerland (host nation), France, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Iceland.
The remaining seven spots will be decided through a two-step playoff. The teams will meet at home and away.
Playoff, teams from A-division against teams from C-division:
Luxembourg–Sweden, Romania–Poland, Greece–Belgium, Montenegro–Finland, Georgia–Ireland, Slovenia–Austria, Belarus–Czech Republic, Albania–Norway.
B-division's "internal" playoff:
Turkey–Ukraine, Croatia–Northern Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina–Serbia, Azerbaijan–Portugal, Hungary–Scotland, Slovakia–Wales.
Final playoff step:
Luxembourg/Sweden–Bosnia-Herzegovina/Serbia, Azerbaijan/Portugal–Belarus/Czech Republic, Hungary/Scotland–Montenegro/Finland, Turkey/Ukraine–Greece/Belgium, Slovakia/Wales–Georgia/Ireland, Romania/Poland–Slovenia/Austria, Croatia/Northern Ireland–Albania/Norway.
