FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
A chastening 90 minutes in Stockholm for Northern Ireland as an Alexander Isak inspired Sweden ease to a comfortable victory.
Isaac Price's late consolation goal was a rare highlight for the visitors as they continue their build-up to the World Cup qualifiers.
That's all from us for now so goodnight and thanks for your company.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
David Healy
Northern Ireland's record men's goalscorer on BBC Two NI
For any young centre-forward, you go watch football to watch the game and the excitement.
But go watch the centre-forward and if you want to be a centre-forward- watch Alexander Isak.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Jim Magilton
Former Northern Ireland midfielder on BBC Two NI
Northern Ireland did not stop and scored a goal. They kept going and scored a goal and that shows a test of character as well.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
David Healy
Northern Ireland's record men's goalscorer on BBC Two NI
Michael O'Neill has lead from the front and the younger players are leading from the front and that can only stand us in good stead going forward.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Shea Charles speaking on BBC Two NI:
On the game: "It was a tough night for us. It's hard to explain getting beaten 5-1, but away from home we did some good bits but we got punished for our mistakes. That's what happens when you play against those sort of players."
On Sweden: "Their frontline are very good and some of the players they are bringing on, it's tough when you're already 4-0 down.
"Away from home it's always tough. We had a good following here tonight but with the home fans behind them it gives them a bit of a boost as well."
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Ruairi McConville speaking on BBC Two NI
On the game: "It's a disappointing night for us, obviously playing against a top team.
"Something that Michael O'Neill said is we are all going to learn [from this], we have to take the positives from it as well, but there is so much we can learn from and bring it into the qualifying campaign."
On his chance: "It's disappointing and it's one I should be scoring. You back yourself to score in those areas and it's disappointing because if that goes in it could be a different game, 2-1 going into half-time.
"Again I'll learn from it. It's a good thing getting those type of chances we just have to put them away."
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Just on that scoring run that Isaac Price has been on for Northern Ireland...
He now has eight goals in the green jersey, drawing level with Martin O'Neill, Derek Dougan and Willie Irvine - not bad company.
He's just one behind Norman Whiteside, Billy Bingham, Gareth McAuley and some fella named George Best too.
Image source, InphoFT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
David Healy
Northern Ireland's record men's goalscorer on BBC Two NI
Northern Ireland teams of generations gone by have been hard to beat but not had the glitz and the glamour of some of these younger, fresher and more influential players have with the ball. We had good players then, but we knew our limits.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
But Northern Ireland did score last.
Here's Isaac Price's late consolation for Northern Ireland. The West Brom midfielder won't have too many fond memories of this trip to Stockholm but he keeps his scoring run going with this deflected effort.
Watch: Isaac Price grabs a late consolation for Northern Ireland
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Jim Magilton
Former Northern Ireland midfielder on BBC Two NI
Northern Ireland looked passive at times and that's a disappointment.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Marissa Callaghan
Former Northern Ireland captain BBC Two NI
Tonight we learn a lot in terms of not giving the ball away in bad areas. I think Michael O'Neill and the team went out a bit braver tonight and we did get a bit of success in winning the ball.
I think for the likes of the Germany game we really need to keep it a bit tighter.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
A five-star performance from Sweden and here's how Anthony Elanga scored the fifth on the night, tapping home a teasing cross at the back post.
Watch: Anthony Elanga makes it 5-0 to Sweden
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Marissa Callaghan
Former Northern Ireland captain BBC Two NI
I think Jamie Donley is going to be a star and he is showing what he's about.
We said at the break how good he is slightly deeper and Michael O'Neill dropped him deeper, but he can also play higher up. He's a versatile player and he impressed me tonight.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
David Healy
Northern Ireland's record men's goalscorer on BBC Two NI
I know Michael O'Neill will be bitterly disappointed, we all are. However it's not a qualifier and we will take a lot from that tonight.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Jim Magilton
Former Northern Ireland midfielder on BBC Two NI
Northern Ireland did create great opportunities, showed better decision making and some quality in the final third.
At this level if you get the opportunities you have to punish the opposition and they didn't do that tonight with Sweden.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Marissa Callaghan
Former Northern Ireland captain BBC Two NI
I think Northern Ireland switched off at times and teams like Sweden will punish you and that's what happened tonight.
FT: Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
David Healy
Northern Ireland's record men's goalscorer on BBC Two NI
We were exposed tonight, but we were exposed to a world class superstar that Alexander Isak is going to be.
Sweden I think are in a false position in terms of where they are and how Luxembourg beat them I have no idea.
What Michael O'Neill will do tonight is they will learn from it. There were so many times we were sloppy with the ball in the middle of the pitch playing one touch football.
Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
A harsh lesson for this young Northern Ireland team as the five-star Swedes put on a show after their shock defeat by Luxembourg at the weekend.
Alexander Isak was outstanding for the clinical hosts while Michael O'Neill's team will look back on chances missed and some slack defending.
It's a setback after the promising 1-1 draw with Switzerland four days ago.
Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Stephen Craigan
Former NI & Motherwell defender on BBC Two NI
It takes a wicked deflection, but that's the reason to keep Isaac Price on the pitch.
At times he has not been at his best but you know he is always going to be in the right place at the right time.
Sweden 5-1 Northern Ireland
Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI at the Straw
There's pints, beach balls and bodies flying about in the away end.
The travelling Northern Ireland support deserve that.
Highlights: Five star Sweden ease past NI in Stockholm
Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak scored one goal and assisted another as Sweden thrashed a youthful Northern Ireland in a friendly in Stockholm.
Isak set up Emil Holm for the hosts' opener from close range in the seventh minute, before Benjamin Nygren added a second midway through the first half.
Northern Ireland improved after the restart but Sweden scored a third when Ken Sema slammed the ball home after Nygren's flicked effort hit the post.
Isak added his name to the scoresheet when he fired an effort into the top corner from 25 yards, and substitute Anthony Elanga added a fifth at the back post.
It was a harsh lesson for a Northern Ireland side missing several key players, with the average age of Michael O'Neill's starting team just 22.6 years old - the joint-second youngest for the country since 1946.
They grabbed a consolation goal in the closing stages when Isaac Price's effort from the edge of the area was deflected into the top corner, and attentions will now turn to June's double header before the start of World Cup qualifying in September.
"We needed to defend better" - NI boss Michael O'Neill
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson had called for a reaction from his side after Saturday's defeat in Luxembourg, and the hosts responded.
After half-chances for Justin Devenny and Ruairi McConville, the hosts took the lead in the seventh minute.
Isak danced his way across the edge of the area and shaped to shoot on a number of occasions, which dragged the Northern Ireland defence towards the ball and that left Holm all the time and space he needed after the Newcastle forward found him in the area.
With the wind in their sails, Nygren and Isak fired over from inside the area, and Price went close at the other end when he drifted inside and let fly from 25 yards but Viktor Johansson made a simple save.
In a good spell for Northern Ireland, Brodie Spencer was inches away from levelling the game as he curled narrowly over from inside the area, but despite their pressure the Swedes soon doubled their lead.
Gabriel Gudmundsson got in behind the Northern Ireland defence and played in a low cross, which Pierce Charles pushed straight into the path of Nygren, who had the simple task of tapping in for his first international goal.
Paddy McNair had to be alert to cut out another cross, this time from Holm as Isak looked ready to pounce, but the visitors rallied and were unlucky not to pull a goal back before the break.
Shea Charles fired straight at Johansson after the Stoke City goalkeeper played a poor pass straight to the midfielder, but the keeper redeemed himself moments later when he produced an acrobatic save to push George Saville's goal-bound effort over the bar.
Captain Charles went close again in the area but his strike was diverted wide by Isak and McConville headed off target after finding himself in space from the resulting corner.
The average age of Michael O'Neill's starting team was just 22.6 - the joint-second youngest in Northern Ireland's history
Northern Ireland started the second half well, but Sweden came breaking forward on the counter attack and Sebastian Nanasi forced Charles into a strong save, and Isak fired into the side netting from the rebound.
Charles' low cross was inches away from reaching Price in the area as Northern Ireland started to get on the ball more, but Isak was a threat at the other and a slip in the area prevented him from getting a shot away after after he breached the offside trap.
There was a sucker-punch of a third goal when Nygren flicked a free-kick off the post and the ball fell kindly for Sema, who fired through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner.
It was four before Northern Ireland knew it as Isak picked the ball up 30 yards from goal, took a touch and arrowed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Jamie Donley, making his first start, came close to pulling a goal back when his effort from range drifted wide, and Ciaron Brown had to be alert to block Sema's powerful effort.
Nottingham Forest's Elanga needed five minutes to get on the scoresheet after being introduced off the bench as he touched home at the back post.
Substitute Jesper Karlstrom almost curled home a superb sixth but his effort crashed off the crossbar, but Northern Ireland would have the final say as Price let fly from the edge of the area and his strike took a deflection on its way into the top corner.
Northern Ireland will be back in action in June with friendlies against Denmark and Iceland, before the start of World Cup qualifying in September, where O'Neill's side will face Germany, Luxembourg and Slovakia.
Manager: Jon Dahl Tomasson
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Michael O'Neill
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Jon Dahl Tomasson
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Michael O'Neill
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
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This is the first meeting between Sweden and Northern Ireland since October 2007, a 1-1 draw in a UEFA European Championship qualifier.
Northern Ireland are winless on their last two visits to Sweden (D1 L1), since beating them 2-0 in October 1974 thanks to goals from Chris Nicholl and Martin O’Neill.
Sweden lost 1-0 last time out against Luxembourg, last losing back-to-back games in June 2024 and last doing so without scoring in both defeats in November 2021 (vs Georgia and Spain).
Northern Ireland are unbeaten in their last five games across all competitions (W2 D3), only once going longer without defeat under manager Michael O'Neill: 12 games between March 2015 and June 2016.
Sweden had won 27 of their previous 30 games against teams ranked outside of the top 50 in the FIFA rankings prior to their 2-0 loss to 92nd place Luxembourg last weekend– the Swedes are unbeaten in their last 45 home matches against such opposition however (W42 D3), since a 1-0 loss to Latvia in October 2003 (Northern Ireland – ranked 71st).
Northern Ireland have won just one of their last 10 away games in all competitions (D3 L6), with that sole victory coming against Scotland in a March 2024 friendly (1-0).
Isaac Price has scored seven goals in 15 starts for Northern Ireland with only Norman Whiteside (8) scoring more for the Green and White Army while aged 21 or under. Price could be the first player to score in three consecutive appearances for the national team since Kyle Lafferty in October 2014.
Alexander Isak has been directly involved in three goals in his last three home appearances for Sweden (2 goals, 1 assist); however the striker hasn’t netted in his last four friendly games on home turf, since netting on his first start for the nation in January 2017 against Slovakia.
