History is made by the victors – and sometimes, too, by the team which scrapes through for a draw. As Sweden trooped out of the Stade de France last night they knew deep down that things could have been much worse.

Substitute defender Erik Johansson interpreted Sweden’s struggles in the first half as a consequence of Ireland’s ability to reduce the match into a robust English-winter type derby.

“We had seen a lot of video too of Ireland playing with possession and playing good football so I think we knew what to expect. But the game they played in the first half was a lot of fighting and it made it difficult for us although we still should have kept the ball more, been a bit more calm with it.”

From Johansson’s viewpoint, the bracing first-half exchanges didn’t suit his team.

Dictate it

“I thought in the first half there was a lot of fighting; a lot of duels and so on. In the second half they scored an early goal and then we played quite well I think. We got back into the game and then I think we went on to dictate it. “

Sweden shaded possession on 53 per cent but didn’t create a single meaningful attack on Darren Randolph’s goal until Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cross-to-nothing. But the most encouraging aspect of Sweden’s evening was their response to Hoolahan’s goal.

From the restart, they pressed Ireland with a sense of urgency which undoubtedly fuelled by the panicky knowledge that their aspirations were beginning to slip away on the very first evening.

“We got things together more the way I was wanting us to,” said Eric Hamrén, Sweden’s manager.

“We passed quicker, we made better use of moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other; we made better use of our left-back Martin Olsson. It was also from that side that many of our second-half chances were created.”

Whether Sweden enjoyed a sustained period through their own creativity or because Ireland retreated after taking the lead is a moot point.

“I don’t know if Ireland went lower and allowed us to play more ball,” said Johansson. “I think that was the main thing in the first half that we didn’t keep the ball.”

It was a theme which Hamrén elaborated on, praising the Irish for the Charlton-era virtues of high pressure and general nuisance making.

“They did a good job of disturbing us, making it difficult for our back-four, winning first and second balls. That’s how they created the chances they did in the first half. In the first half in particular, our own attacking play was not good. But full credit to Ireland for how they kept us under pressure, not giving us time.

“But we played better afterwards and I think that is what we have to focus on. You always want to win games so we are disappointed and it is a bad result.”

A draw leaves both teams in no-man’s land going into the second game.

“ I think it is absolutely possible for us to qualify,” Johansson said, happy to walk away from a night that could have been much worse.