Larsson Leads Sweden’s Rout, 5-0

Henrik Larsson marked his first competitive game out of retirement with two goals in 71 seconds on Monday to lead Sweden to a 5-0 victory over Bulgaria in a Group C game of the European Championship at Lisbon.

Larsson, who quit the national team after the 2002 World Cup, was persuaded to come back for Euro 2004. Against Bulgaria, he scored in the 57th and 58th minutes at the Jose Alvalade Stadium after Fredrik Ljungberg had given his team a first-half lead.

“It is easy to be a coach if you have someone like Larsson,” Sweden Coach Lars Lagerback said.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the fourth goal on a penalty kick 12 minutes from the end and Marcus Allback netted the fifth in the last minute.

Larsson’s first goal was a full-length diving header and the second a first-time left-footed drive into the roof of the net as the Swedes unhinged the Bulgarian defense with crosses from both flanks.

The result was tough on the Bulgarians who were close to leveling the score before Larsson’s double strike effectively put the game out of reach.

The first goal came when Ibrahimovic beat the Bulgarian offside trap just a few yards in their half and ran 30 yards before squaring the ball for Ljungberg to tap into an empty net with the goalkeeper out of position.

Denmark 0, Italy 0 -- The goalkeepers turned in commanding performances as the Group C match ended in a scoreless tie at Guimaraes, Portugal.

Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon kept out shots by Martin Joergensen and Dennis Rommedahl.

Denmark goalie Thomas Soerensen made reflex stops on shots by Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti in the span of two seconds.

The Italians also came close when Totti’s 30-yard free kick was bending toward the net before Soerensen pushed it away.

In the 17th minute, Danish veteran Thomas Helveg was left free to cut inside, and he powered a 25-yard shot that the unprotected Buffon had to punch upward.