Emil Forsberg's deflected effort earns World Cup quarter-final spot in 1-0 victory

Forsberg and Sweden celebrate. [Photo/Courtesy]

The King is dead, long live the kings.

How Zlatan Ibrahimovic must be frustrated at not being a part of this. How he must be gutted at missing out on a World Cup quest with the trophy there for the taking.

Instead Sweden are showing here in Russia that there is life after the superstar striker. They topped a group including defending champions Germany.

They are buzzing off their dream run to the quarter-finals. As for being easy opposition, you get the sense that they would more than hold their own against either England or Colombia this weekend.

Janne Anderson’s reconfigured side were the better team throughout this contest against an awful Switzerland team. Value for far more than the one goal.

Had Sweden taken their chances Marcus Berg would have netted in the seventh minute instead of blasting high and wide. Albin Ekdal would have made amends two minutes later instead of finding Row Z.

Berg would have given Yann Sommer no chance with his angled drive, just shy of the half hour, instead of allowing the Swiss keeper to save one-handed.

Forsberg fires home. [Photo/Courtesy]

And Man of the Match Emil Forsberg would have netted six minutes before the break instead of seeing his deflected free-kick fly narrowly wide with Sommer rooted to the sport.

When Forsberg did score, in the 66th minute, his goal was a hugely deserved one. He’d spent most of the previous 65 minutes opening up the Swiss at will.

He was canny, clever, capable of frightening the life out of Vladimir Petkovic’s side - and he did.

Switzerland were disappointing. Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Bologna’s Blerim Dzemali blew their best chances in the minutes before the break.

They rallied before the end but it was too little too late and Michael Lang was sent off in added time for a push on Martin Olsson as he raced clear.