Last-minute Masouras leveller sees Greece spoil Sweden's World Cup pre-party

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] were looking for an instant improvement after a painful 3-1 loss to neighbours [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] three days earlier. They went into the Oslo clash without many of their usual starters, but there was no lack of star power from the off this time, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Alexander Isak[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gyokeres-viktor/zaBZ1xIk/"]Viktor Gyokeres[/a] started up front together for the first time under Graham Potter.[/p][p]But hopes of a positive start were dashed in the 10th minute, when the non-qualifiers took the lead. The early warning signs were there, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tetteh-andrews/YXQPhNKh/"]Andrews Tetteh[/a] fired just over before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mavropanos-konstantinos/zBXgM0Xa/"]Kostas Mavropanos[/a] climbed highest at a corner but failed to direct his header. [/p][p]At the Greek's second corner of the evening,[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsimikas-konstantinos/SEyNdMro/"]Kostas Tsimikas[/a]' delivery was flicked away and picked up on the left wing by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolis-christos/484Acu9H/"]Christos Tzolis[/a], who picked out Tsimikas who had ghosted his way to the edge of the area, and he side-footed the ball through the crowd[/b] and past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nordfeldt-kristoffer/zidYDVKR/"]Kristoffer Nordfeldt[/a].[/p][p]Things nearly got better for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/greece/COuk57Ci/"]Greece[/a] in the 19th minute, when a clearance was taken down by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kourbelis-dimitrios/I1aYPouS/"]Dimitrios Kourbelis[/a], who unleashed a stunning effort from nearly 30 yards out that struck the underside of the bar and bounced clear after deflecting off the diving Nordfeldt. [/p][p]There was concern moments later when Gyokers stayed down after a poor challenge from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/retsos-panagiotis/W6dn3O5H/"]Panagiotis Retsos[/a], and once the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] man was able to continue, the half-cleared free-kick was caught sweetly by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nygren-benjamin/WCHWGOvf/"]Benjamin Nygren[/a], who drilled his strike a whisker wide.[/p][p]Sweden were still waiting for a shot on target by the 34th minute, in which a dreadful [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rota-lazaros/82l5eIuO/"]Lazaros Rota[/a] backpass was latched onto by Gyokeres, who had the beating of his marker, only to lay the ball across to Nygren, whose attempt was quickly closed down by the covering defender.[/p][embed guid="10c6205a-017a-4d4b-81c7-530801c732c0" url="https://x.com/svenskfotboll/status/2062585532161327153" social-type="twitter" /][p]Late in the half, Nordfeldt was far from convincing when keeping out a tame Tzolis chance before shepherding a Tetteh shot bound for his near post out for a corner, while at the other end, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ayari-yasin/vTrnQI0N/"]Yasin Ayari[/a] sent a fierce low volley a whisker wide before Gyokeres finally had an effort on goal in added time, but his 25-yarder was no trouble for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tzolakis-konstantinos/G0ZL7CGI/"]Konstantinos Tzolakis[/a].[/p][p]Having made eight changes at the break against Norway, Potter kept faith with the same XI to start the second half. That came within inches of backfiring within two minutes when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlidis-vangelis/fTsS9nkc/"]Vangelos Pavlidis[/a] curled a 20-yard effort with his right foot around Nordfeldt and off the post, and soon after, Tzolis tried a similar strike but couldn't curl it enough.[/p][p]But the coach's faith was rewarded in the 53rd minute, as [b]Sweden won a free-kick in a central position which Gyokeres struck from 28 yards out, and a deflection off the wall kept the ball low, deceiving Tzolakis who couldn't prevent a 20th international goal for the striker.[/b][/p][p]Soon after the hour mark, Potter answered counterpart [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovanovic-ivan/IwbgnsMg/"]Ivan Jovanovic[/a]'s six changes with nine of his own, and the new-look [i]Blagult [/i]needed only five minutes to show their value as squad members, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ali-taha/no0y4BJ5/"]Taha Ali[/a] - making just his second appearance - burst down the left wing between four Greek defenders, before firing a low cross over for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nilsson-gustaf/zofKop0A/"]Gustaf Nilsson[/a] to bundle in to put the Swedes in front.[/b][/p][embed guid="ede9ca14-c856-4eb2-a140-dcc76c6dfd48" url="https://x.com/svenskfotboll/status/2062607519298502907" social-type="twitter" /][p]More trickery from Malmo's Ali gave Sweden a chance of a third, only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zeneli-besfort/hbgshYpl/"]Besfort Zeneli[/a] to skew his effort wide. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elanga-anthony/dOlRWlZ6/"]Anthony Elanga[/a] then sent an shot too close to Tzolakis, as Greece failed to break through a resolute home defence in the latter stages.[/p][p]In added time, Elanga ensured replacement goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mandas-christos/vVGAhOFI/"]Christos Mandas[/a] had something to do, forcing a simple save, but two goals looked to have been enough for Sweden.[/p][p]That was until the final action of the game, when an [b]in-swinging cross from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostoulas-charalampos/GA3CqpgC/"]Charalampos Kostoulas[/a] was met on the edge of the six-yard box by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/masouras-georgios/Ma5qH2yn/"]Masouras[/a], who got in front of his marker to divert the ball in off the post and grab [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/greece-COuk57Ci/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=nVbellBj"]a 2-2 draw[/a] for The Azure & White[/b].[/p][p]The last-gasp equaliser means the two play-off wins in March remain Sweden's only wins under Graham Potter. The Scandinavians will now prepare to fly to Mexico, where their World Cup Group F campaign begins against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sweden-OQyqbHWB/tunisia-QqZVYk95/?mid=UaJKzaHN"]15th June[/a] in Monterrey.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/world/world-championship/"]Follow Sweden at the 2026 World Cup with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]