STOCKHOLM (Interstat) — Sweden U21 used goals from Victor Svensson and A. Njie to beat North Macedonia U21 2-0 on Monday, opening its competition slate with a win and keeping the visitors without a goal. The home side took control early and managed the match after Njie doubled the lead early in the second half. Sweden U21 improved to 1-0 in the competition and 1-0 across all competitions, while North Macedonia U21 dropped to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 overall. The result gave Sweden U21 a clean sheet and left North Macedonia U21 still searching for its first win.

Svensson struck in the 15th minute to give Sweden U21 the lead. He played 75 minutes before being substituted. Njie made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute and played 59 minutes before his substitution. Charlie Rosenqvist recorded an assist while remaining on the field for the full 90 minutes. Noah Tolf also provided an assist and played 75 minutes, though he was shown a yellow card in the 22nd minute. Those four players shaped the most important attacking moments for the home side.

The goals arrived in different phases. Svensson’s 15th-minute finish gave the hosts an early advantage, and Sweden U21 carried that lead into halftime. Njie’s 52nd-minute goal gave the home side more cushion after the break. Rosenqvist and Tolf were credited with assists on the two goals. North Macedonia U21 struggled to generate a response after falling behind by two goals, and the visitors were held scoreless. Sweden U21’s defense protected the lead through the second half.

Discipline became a factor as the game wore on. Tolf was booked in the 22nd minute for Sweden U21. North Macedonia U21’s Danev D. was cautioned in the 56th minute, and Arizankoski A. and Tasovski V. both received yellow cards in the 74th minute. Nikolovski T. was booked in the 80th minute, and Sweden U21’s Cotton O. was cautioned in the 86th minute. The sequence of cards interrupted the flow of the second half and limited North Macedonia U21’s chances to build sustained pressure.

Both teams made use of their benches. North Macedonia U21’s substitutions came at 46 minutes with Maslarov I., at 64 minutes with Danev D. and Velichkovski N., at 73 minutes with Ljatifi A. and at 87 minutes with Velkov A. Sweden U21’s substitutions came at 59 minutes with Njie A. and Gunnarsson K., at 75 minutes with Tolf N. and Svensson V. and at 87 minutes with Ostman L. The changes allowed Sweden U21 to rotate its attack while preserving the two-goal advantage.

Sweden U21 managed the closing stages without conceding, preserving a clean sheet and a comfortable home result. North Macedonia U21 could not find a goal despite late substitutions and finished the match with four yellow cards. Sweden U21’s win gave it a 1-0 record in the competition and a 1-0 record across all competitions. North Macedonia U21 fell to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 across all competitions.

The match followed a pattern that favored the home side. Sweden U21 scored first, absorbed North Macedonia U21’s attempts to reply and added a second goal soon after halftime. North Macedonia U21’s best spell came without a goal, and the visitors were unable to convert possession into a scoring chance. Sweden U21’s early lead and Njie’s second goal proved enough for the win.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Sweden U21 1, North Macedonia U21 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Sweden U21 with a 65.3 percent probability to win. Sweden U21 finished with two goals, while North Macedonia U21 finished with none.