Graham Potter’s debut as Sweden manager ended in a bruising 4-1 defeat to a confident Switzerland side now just a point away from sealing a sixth straight FIFA World Cup appearance.
Sweden remain bottom of Group B and are in danger of finishing a qualifying campaign without a single victory for the first time.
Breel Embolo, Switzerland’s leading scorer in this cycle, struck early in Geneva after Dan Ndoye outsmarted Daniel Svensson on the flank and squared for a close-range finish.
Sweden stunned the hosts with a 33rd-minute reply as Anthony Elanga powered down the left to deliver a pinpoint cross for Benjamin Nygren to volley home in style. It was Sweden’s brightest moment on a night otherwise stacked against them.
Nygren twice missed further chances and Mattias Svanberg forced Gregor Kobel into a sharp save before the break, but Sweden’s renewed confidence evaporated just before the hour.
A poor backpass from substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson gifted Embolo a route to goal, leading to a penalty after Viktor Johansson brought him down. Granit Xhaka dispatched the spot-kick to restore Swiss control.
Switzerland grew stronger from that moment. Embolo almost added a second after an Isak Hien mistake, but Johansson denied him.
The reprieve was brief; Ndoye clinically finished from a Ruben Vargas pass with 15 minutes left, and Johan Manzambi added a late fourth at the near post.
Switzerland will confirm qualification with just a draw against Kosovo on Tuesday. Sweden, meanwhile, face an uncomfortably real prospect, a World Cup campaign slipping away before Potter has even begun to steady the ship.
