Sweden 'managed to knock out bigger teams before': Larsson aims for France upset

[p]The Swedes finished bottom of ‌their qualifying group and made the World Cup through the ‌playoffs, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] 5-1 in their first game before losing to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] ‌by the same score and scraping into the knockout stage ‌with a 1-1 draw with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] and a third-placed finish in the group.[/p][p]They will now take on a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] side bristling with attacking talent who hammered [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] ‌4-1 in their final group game and are ⁠among the favourites to win ‌the tournament.[/p][p][b]"I don't think I need to say much about France. They have ​a couple of guys who are quite skilled,"[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larsson-sebastian/W6SV2Pnd/"]Larsson[/a] said. [b]"We will have our challenges, but we are looking forward to ​it in a fantastic way."[/b][/p][p]Larsson, who scored the second goal in a 2-0 win over France at Euro 2012, won 133 caps for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]⁠Sweden[/a] and is one ​of few survivors from the reign of Danish head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was sacked last October after taking one point from their first four World Cup qualifiers.[/p][embed guid="ab99eaa0-c390-464d-85a7-edd0878dc131" url="https://x.com/svenskfotboll/status/2071140319563821171" social-type="twitter" /][p]Larsson remained on ‌the staff following the appointment of Graham Potter, who steered the Swedes to playoff wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ukraine/j1JtDMwo/"]Ukraine[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/poland/2HzmcynI/"]Poland[/a] to make the World Cup, and who now has to come up with a plan to beat the French.[/p][p][b]"If you look back, we've managed to knock out bigger teams before, even if it's France this time. It gives me a certain amount of belief in things, definitely in me and hopefully in the players too,"[/b] Larsson said.[/p][p][b]"I hope they don't look ‌forward to meeting us. But if they do, that's just how it ​is. I think there is a respect for us ... we ‌still have players who can deliver very good things. For us it's about getting everything right, because that will be required."[/b][/p][p]With the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a] in top form, it will take a lot for the Swedes to stop them.[/p][p][b]"It'll ⁠be something to get our ⁠teeth into, but we're very ‌much looking forward to the match,"[/b] Larsson added.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/france-QkGeVG1n/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=UN3MMEFl"]Look ahead to France vs Sweden on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]