It seems to be an unwritten law in football that in competitive matches England does not beat Sweden. In seven meetings at the World Cup and European Championship there have been five draws and two Swedish victories.
If England fails to record its first competitive win over Sweden in Kiev on Friday, it will be facing elimination from Euro 2012.
England's opening 1-1 draw against France was the outcome most (here) expected with no surprises from the new manager's side. Roy Hodgson's team was pragmatic rather than pretty, solid rather than scintillating, dour rather than dazzling, hard to beat but also hard to watch.