Graham Potter admits not even 'perfect' Sweden would have beaten France

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] had made it at least as far as the ‌round of 16 in their previous four trips to the ‌tournament [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/france-QkGeVG1n/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=UN3MMEFl"]but lost 3-0[/a] to the twice world champions with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/potter-graham/0hDID8Ve/"]Potter[/a] saying ‌they would head home with pride despite the lopsided score.[/p][p]"[b]We ‌had to be perfect, and even if we were, I'm not sure that would have been enough, if I'm brutally honest, because the opponent was at ‌a high level,[/b]" he told reporters.[/p][p]"[b]You look ⁠at the careers and the CVs ‌of the French team, you compare them to ours, where we're at - ​we're a young developing team with hopefully a lot of good things ahead of us.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="b52ae2d8-5995-4512-8635-ea0543c90ed9" url="https://x.com/GoalsXtra/status/2072095827128930436?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The mismatch was obvious long ​before the game began, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] using their experience to reach the knockout round with a perfect nine points, while the young ⁠Swedish team squeaked into ​the tournament and endured a chaotic group-stage campaign.[/p][p]France practised on the field to the dulcet tones of Edith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" before leaving the Nordic team red-faced under sweltering heat and a relentless attack, ‌as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Mbappe[/a] curled his first of two into the corner of the net late in the first half.[/p][h2]Impossible dream[/h2][p]Sweden had fans allowed themselves to dream the impossible after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a] knocked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a] on penalties - one of the tournament's greatest upsets - only a day earlier.[/p][p]But it became clear there would be no triumph for David over Goliath this time, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barcola-bradley/lhGD3RgS/"]Bradley Barcola[/a] added insurance and Mbappe recorded his 18th goal of the tournament in the second half.[/p][p]"[b]If we ‌had got in 0-0 in the break, it would have been ​nice,[/b]" said veteran Sweden defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindelof-victor/OIp0Le1f/"]Victor Lindelof[/a]. "[b]They get goals pretty ‌quickly in the second half, and then it gets even harder. We're facing a very good team, but we wanted to have more of the game.[/b]"[/p][p]France face Paraguay in the last 16.[/p][p]"[b]Of course it's football, anything is possible[/b]," Potter said. "[b]But I ⁠personally haven't seen a better ⁠team (than France).[/b]"[/p]