Tuesday 17 November 2015 11:14, UK
Can Sweden finish the job against arch-rivals Denmark and send Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a another major international tournament?
In November 2013, Sweden's hopes of reaching the World Cup were dashed by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in their qualifying play-off with Portugal. Zlatan Ibrahimovic could only stand and applaud as his opposite number's brilliant third goal sealed Sweden's fate at Stockholm's Friends Arena, but the next day he was back to his usual, outspoken self. "One thing is for sure," he declared. "A World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worthwhile to wait for the World Cup."
Two years later, Ibrahimovic has found himself in a familiar situation. Sweden's third-placed finish in Group G left them to navigate another precarious play-off - they are 2-1 up from the first leg - and this time Ibrahimovic rued the prospect of a Zlatan-less tournament in advance. "It's unimaginable for me to see this tournament going on without me," he said recently. "We didn't go in the standard way, so we will find another one."
Ibrahimovic described 2013 as "probably his last attempt" to qualify for a World Cup with Sweden, so Tuesday's decisive leg - live on Sky Sports - has taken on even greater significance for their captain. The goals are still flowing in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, but Ibrahimovic turned 34 in October and he is entering the twilight of his career.
So will there be one final hurrah on the international stage? History suggests there might. The Scandinavians may have failed to reach the last two World Cups, but they have not missed a European Championship since 1996.
Ibrahimovic has a record of six goals in 10 appearances since making his bow in the tournament in 2004, but it holds mixed memories for Sweden's charismatic talisman.
Euro 2004 was the only time in recent years that they have made it past the group stage. Ibrahimovic, an Ajax player at the time, produced one of the moments of the tournament with an ingenious backheeled equaliser against Italy, but it ended on a sour note when he blazed over from the spot as they were beaten on penalties by Netherlands in the quarter-final.
Ibrahimovic had moved to Inter Milan via Juventus by the time Euro 2008 arrived, and he ended a 14-game international scoring drought by netting a superb 20-yard drive in their opening game against Greece. It was a perfect start, but defeats to Spain and Russia sent Ibrahimovic home early again.
His tour of Europe's elite clubs had taken in Barcelona and AC Milan by the summer of 2012, when the Euros were hosted by Ukraine and Poland. Ibrahimovic scored a stunning volley in a 2-0 win over France, but Sweden's hopes of progressing had already been extinguished by defeats to Ukraine and England. "I think we were the better team against England," he said after their 3-2 defeat. "We should be proud of ourselves because we played a good game."
Ibrahimovic still has a penchant for a controversial soundbite but he has matured from Sweden's enfant terrible to their leader on and off the pitch in recent years. They remain utterly dependent on him, too. He has just won their player of the year award for the ninth consecutive time, and in qualifying he netted eight goals in nine appearances, before striking what proved the winner in Saturday's first leg. His tally in qualifying represented over half of Sweden's total. Only Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller scored more.
Sweden could hardly have asked for more from Ibrahimovic, but back-to-back defeats to Russia and Austria proved costly. "In my world, they were two catastrophic matches," he said last month. "I'm never happy when I lose, and sometimes I'm not even happy when I win. There was nothing positive to take from the two matches."
Morten Olsen's Denmark side are at home on Tuesday but are on a poor run, having failed to win any of their last three fixtures in Group I, before they slipped up again at the Friends Arena. Tottenham's Christian Eriksen gives them a touch of class in midfield, but when your answer to Ibrahimovic is Nicklas Bendtner the odds are unlikely to be in your favour.
Sweden's own limitations mean winning the Euros is probably beyond Ibrahimovic, but it would be a crying shame if the play-off trauma of 2013 repeated itself against Denmark. His remarkable club success in Holland, Italy, Spain and France ensures his legacy as a modern great is assured, but one final crack at international glory would be a fitting way to usher in the final stage of his glittering career.
Watch Denmark v Sweden live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm on Tuesday.
