Four-time champion Italy was left at serious risk of failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades after losing at Sweden 1-0 in the opening leg of their playoff on Friday.
Substitute Jakob Johansson scored shortly after the hour mark with a shot from the edge of the area that deflected in off Daniele De Rossi. After a long throw-in, Ola Toivonen headed the ball out to Johansson and his deflected drive wrong-footed goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for his first international goal.
The Azzurri created few chances at Friends Arena outside Stockholm and were fortunate not to concede more goals after allowing Sweden a series of free kicks early on. Italy's best opportunity was a long effort from Matteo Darmian that squarely hit the post in the 70th. The Azzurri's only other significant chance was a header from Andrea Belotti six minutes in.
Sweden imposed itself with its physicality and playmaker Emil Forsberg proved especially dangerous with his passing skills, setting up numerous opportunities. Early in the second half, Italy became outraged at Sweden's physicality, protesting for yellow cards at perceived excessive contact. But Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir said to play on.
Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura wanted the referee to intervene more.
"But that's not a justification," Ventura said. "A draw was the minimum we could hope for considering what happened on the pitch."
Making matters more complicated for Italy was that creative midfielder Marco Verratti picked up a yellow card that will rule him out of the return match on Monday at Milan's San Siro.
"We need to learn from the mistakes we made tonight," Italy defender leonardo Bonucci said. "I'm expecting a great match at the San Siro and for Italy to go to the World Cup. We've got to play the match of our lives."
Italy has only three goals in its last five matches and hasn't found the net in two of those games.
"We have to be quicker on the ball," Bonucci said. "In the return leg, we have to really fight. They played a very physical game but we can't make excuses."
Italy has participated in every World Cup since failing to qualify for the 1958 tournament, which coincidentally was held in Sweden.
The last major competitions Italy missed were the 1984 and 1992 European Championships.
While Sweden didn't compete in the last two World Cups, it impressed in qualifying with a win over France and finished ahead of the Netherlands in its group.
"We need to go to Milan and focus on our game," Sweden striker Marcus Berg said. "We know what to do. It will be a tough match but we have a strong belief in what we're going to do."
Ventura relied on Ciro Immobile and Belotti - two of his former players at Torino - in attack. That decision left winger lorenzo Insigne, considered the Azzurri's most talented forward recently, on the bench. Insigne replaced Verratti for the final quarter hour but made little impact.
With his strong play on the left flank, Darmian was Italy's only bright spot. Jose Mourinho, Darmian's manager at Manchester United who watched from the tribune, had to be pleased.
Otherwise, the Azzurri were too predictable and slow to punish Sweden's well-organized defense.
"Their goal was fairly lucky," Darmian said. "But we need to do more."
Senegal qualify for wc
Senegal seized the second chance it was given by FIFA to qualify for the World Cup on Friday, beating South Africa 2-0 in a replay of a game it lost first time round last year.
FIFA ordered the qualifier to be played again because of match-fixing by the referee in the initial match in November 2016. At the center of FIFA's decision was a penalty given against Senegal for a non-existent handball that helped South Africa win 2-1 12 months ago. Senegal used the contentious replay at the same stadium in Polokwane in northern South Africa as the annulled game to seal its place at the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Sadio Mane was pivotal in both goals. He set up Diafra Sakho for the opener in the 12th minute and forced an own goal by South Africa defender Thamsanqa Mkhize in the 39th.
"Thank you, South Africa," Mane said. "It was not an easy game for us but we kept pushing."
As Senegal's qualification was confirmed at the final whistle, the Senegalese players huddled together and bounced up and down in celebration. Coach Aliou Cisse knelt and held his arms up. Cisse was captain of the Senegal team that made the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2002, then only the second African team to get to the last eight.
That was the last and only time Senegal has made it to the World Cup.
Senegal joins Nigeria and Egypt as qualifiers for the 2018 tournament from Africa, so far. The last two qualifiers from Africa will be decided on Saturday. Either Tunisia or Congo and Morocco or Ivory Coast will make up Africa's contingent in Russia.
Honduras, Australia draw 0-0
Honduras held Asian Cup champion Australia to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their intercontinental World Cup playoff, leaving a spot at Russia still very much at stake for both teams in next week's return leg in Sydney.
The Australians dominated the match and created the better scoring opportunities but Honduras defended stubbornly at home and neither side was able to break the stalemate in a tense but scrappy opening leg at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano on Friday.
Australian striker Tomi Juric missed two clear-cut chances to score — one in each half — and the Socceroos were left confused after Italian referee Daniele Orsato initially awarded them a penalty only to change his mind after consulting with an assistant.
Despite the missed opportunities, Australia head coach Ange Postecoglou said he was thrilled with his team's overall performance and confident of winning the return leg on home soil.
"We're just missing that clinical edge, but overall I couldn't be happier," Postecoglou said in a post-match interview on Australia's Fox Sports.
Elsewhere, Oceania champion New Zealand held Peru to a 0-0 draw Saturday in the first leg of their intercontinental World Cup playoff that will decide the final qualifier for Russia next year.
The teams will head to lima next week for the second leg with the South Americans hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and New Zealand looking to make just its third appearance at the finals.
Peru was heavily favored to beat New Zealand, but struggled in the absence of star striker and captain, Paolo Guerrero, who was suspended after failing a doping test.