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Ukraine, co-hosts for Euro 2012 besides Poland, went top of Group D after coming from behind to see off Sweden 2-1 in a game played at Kiev on Monday 11 June 2012 from 2145hrs.
Shevchenko lost his marker, again
After a barren half, it is Sweden who went a goal up first, on 52 minutes when Swede danger man after Zlatan Ibrahimovic side footed home from six yards out following a pull-back from Kim Kallstrom.
Just three minutes later, it was level at 1-1 as Andriy Shevchenko, the great Ex AC Milan forward, drew the hosts level when he outwitted his marker to nod in a cross from Oleh Gusev.
There was a third six minutes later, when Shevchenko lost his marker, again, this time Ibrahimovic, to nod in his second at the near post off a corner, to get his 48th goal in 110 internationals, that eventually turned out to be the winning goal.
Could have done better
Shevchenko got the home crowd to their feet early, when he had a shot on goal in just the tenth minute.
On 36 minutes, Markus Rosenberg tested Pyatov in the Ukraine goal with a low shot but the keeper did his best to pull a save.
Three minutes to the half, Ibrahimovic could have done better to get Sweden 0-1 up but his header crushed off the post for a near miss.
Top of the four team pile
After Shevchenko’s second, Sweden brought in three substitutes in the next nine minutes, but the games remained as is, at 2-1 for the co-hosts.
With England and France having fought out to a 1-1 draw in another Group D encounter, Ukraine’s win sends the side top of the four team pile with three points as Sweden drop to bottom till the next round of play.
