(Credit: Breaking Media/Manh Tung)

Jacob Raw

Fri 27 March 2026 7:40, UK

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery could have food for thought when Victor Lindelof returns from international duty, with the centre-back putting in an impressive display for Sweden on Thursday.

Lindelof played the full 90 minutes for Sweden, as he helped his country to a 3-1 semi-final win over Ukraine to take another step closer to World Cup qualification.

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres grabbed a hat-trick and will grab all the headlines, but Lindelof’s performance doesn’t deserve to go unnoticed.

The defender played in a back three formation and will most likely keep his spot as Sweden face Poland next for their final hurdle in an attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

Lindelof hasn’t had many games for Villa this season, but he’ll feel confident of his chances after this performance.

How well did Victor Lindelof play vs Ukraine?

Lindelof was absent in Villa’s game against West Ham, which initially casted doubt on if he was even going to be able to play for Sweden at all.

But after a towering performance, he looks set for another start in what will be a huge game for his country.

As seen in the table above, the 45 clearances from Sweden in the match paint the picture of how solid Lindelof’s country was at the back, having only to make six tackles.

The Aston Villa star was given a 6.6 Sofascore rating and recorded an 83 per cent pass success, while also making six defensive contributions.

He also had a total carrying distance of 73.7 metres and nine actual carries, showing the ability to drive his side up the field with line-breaking passes.

The centre-half also won 80 per cent of his duels in the air and was a dominant force at the back that helped Sweden over the line.

What has the Swedish media said about Lindelof?

Lindelof will be hoping to return to B6 a man with a better chance of playing through his performance for Sweden.

If he were to put in another solid display against Poland next week, there’s no reason why Emery shouldn’t be starting him in Villa’s first game after the break.

Swedish media outlet Fotbollskanalen called Lindelof’s performance “calm” and said that he “contributed to Sweden looking compact and good”.

Expressen also called his performance “calm”, which was said to have affected the rest of Sweden’s backline, who also complimented his ability to make “nice interceptions”.

Hopefully, more of the same follows against Poland for Lindelof, who will fight against Villa team-mate Matty Cash to get to the World Cup.