Swedish media hail Alexander Isak as Liverpool star impresses despite Norway defeat
Sweden were defeated 3-1 by Norway on Monday ahead of their World Cup preparations, but this has not stopped the media from praising Alexander Isak.
The Liverpool striker has had a difficult first season at Anfield as he struggled with injuries and with form.
However, when he did play for his country, he had impressed, and this was on show yet again against their Scandinavian rivals.
The 26-year-old came off the bench with a little under an hour left and netted a consolation goal against Norway.
His performance heavily impressed the media as Liverpool hopes their record signing can return to form over the summer.
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VISIT THE LIVERPOOL MATCH HUBAlexander Isak ‘show magic’ in Sweden’s defeat to Norway
The defeat to Norway will be damning for many Swedes ahead of the World Cup, but Isak’s performance from the bench will give many fans hope.
In only 28 minutes, he completed seven passes, had a 100 per cent shot accuracy, created one chance, won all of his ground duels and even won a foul.
| Alexander Isak’s stats vs Norway | |
| Minutes | 28 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Passes completed | 7 |
| Shot accuracy | 100% |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Ground duels won | 100% |
| Fouls won | 1 |
As a result, the media was quick to hail the striker, with media outlet Svenskafans on 1 June believing that he would have netted a hat-trick if he had started the game against Norway.
It read: “Dreamed and created chances. Showed he wanted something with his game and didn’t just stand still. Shows magic, and I think he could have scored a hat-trick if he played from the start.”
Sweden’s World Cup campaign begins on 15 June against Tunisia. They will also face the Netherlands and Japan in Group F.
Can Isak find his form under Andoni Iraola
Man United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Andoni Iraola is set to be announced as Liverpool’s next manager.
As a result, one of the Spaniard’s biggest tasks will be to get Isak scoring goals on a regular basis at Anfield.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 1, 2026
The striker showed the occasional sign of quality under Arne Slot but could never net on a consistent basis.
However, Iraola has proved multiple times that he can get attacking players scoring, with stars such as Antoine Semenyo becoming top Premier League players under his guidance.
There will be hope that this can now be repeated, with Isak previously one of the division’s deadliest attackers at Newcastle United before last summer’s move.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Iraola can finally unlock Isak’s potential at Anfield ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
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