Celtic forward Benjamin Nygren continued his impressive form at both club and international level, playing a key role as Sweden reached the World Cup play-off final on Thursday night.
The 22-year-old has been one of Celtic’s standout performers this season, emerging as the club’s top scorer with 19 goals, but his displays have at times divided opinion among supporters and pundits.
Despite that, from an individual standpoint, Nygren’s output remains strong, and he carried that momentum into Sweden’s latest outing against Ukraine.
Starting under new manager Graham Potter – a manager previously linked with the Celtic manager’s job – Nygren was trusted from the outset and delivered a composed, effective performance.
He recorded one assist and two key passes across his 90 minutes, directly influencing Sweden’s attacking play, as Potter’s side secured a comfortable 3-1 win to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Are Celtic fans too harsh towards Benjamin Nygren?
Another goal and assist on the charts
The stats behind Benjamin Nygren’s display as Sweden beat Ukraine
Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres netted a hat-trick, with his opening goal being assisted by Celtic’s top scorer.
Nygren’s assist proved crucial in breaking down the opposition, while his overall distribution highlighted his efficiency, completing over 95 per cent of his passes and regularly finding teammates in advanced areas.
His contribution was not just about numbers, with his movement and ball progression helping Sweden maintain pressure throughout.
It was another display that underlined his growing importance at the international level.
- Minutes played: 90
- Assists: 1
- Key Passes: 2
- Accurate passes in the opposition half: 14 out of 15
- Passing %: 95.2
- Accurate crosses: 2
- Total carrying distance: 32.2 m
- Carries: 6
- Touches: 39
- Fouled: 1
- Clearances: 1
- Recoveries: 1
- Ground duels won: 1
- Sofascore rating: 7.00
Who stands in Nygren’s way of reaching the World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
The last time Sweden played at world football’s biggest tournament was in 2018, but they failed to book their ticket for Qatar.
But now Nygren and Sweden are 90 minutes away, and possibly extra time and penalties, from the 2026 edition, with Poland standing in their way.
If Celtic fans are interested in seeing how Nygren gets on, then the game will take place on Tuesday, March 31, 19:45 GMT in Stockholm.
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