Shackled Swede Rytting Kaneryd still finds a way in Germany rout

The attacking play of Sweden's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd has attracted plenty of attention at the Women's Euros, and not all of it has been welcome - on Saturday, Germany's defence marked her tightly for much of the game but she still managed to create a goal in a stunning 4-1 win.

The 28-year-old has been electric on Sweden's right flank, tormenting defenders and creating a slew of chances as the Swedes topped Group C ahead of the Germans to set up a quarterfinal against the runners-up in a group containing France, England, Netherlands and Wales.

"I would be lying if I said that I wasn't frustrated," Rytting Kaneryd said of the extra attention she got from the German defence.

"I'm always frustrated when I don't get to do everything I want on the field. In a match like this, it's important to keep your head cool and make the best of the situations when I actually get the ball.

"At the end of the day, it's about winning football matches, and I always want to contribute with as much as I can. In this game it wasn't as much as in the last game, so you have to be sharp when you get your chances."

Even without the ball, Rytting Kaneryd exerted an outsized influence on the game -- by forcing the Germans to keep a close eye on her, space opened up for her teammates, and her assist for Lina Hurtig's 4-1 goal crowned an unselfish performance.

"I don't know if they thought that they needed to keep an eye on me, the feeling is that they started the game extremely strong, we really had a hard time in the first 10 minutes," Rytting Kaneryd explained.

"We could have been one or two goals down (but) we did well in the game and became more direct in our play, and it paid off."

BETTER TO LOSE NOW THAN IN KNOCKOUT ROUND - GERMANY'S BERGER

Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was none too pleased with her side's 4-1 humbling by Sweden on Saturday, but said the one consolation was that they were still in the tournament, finishing second in the group and advancing to the quarterfinals despite the heavy defeat.

The Germans, who had defender Carlotta Wamser sent off in the 32nd minute for a handball that resulted in a penalty, still progressed to the last eight, where they will face the winners of Group D (either France, England or Netherlands).

"I'd rather take a blow now than in the quarterfinals, because then you can't make a comeback anymore," Berger told reporters.

"Sometimes in football... it's good to lose, to really know how it is to lose, a real pain, and that sometimes it's just not enough to perform like that."

The Germans started brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute but the Swedes hit back five minutes later and proceeded to cause problems for their opponents by creating overloads in wide areas and becoming more direct in their play.

The 34-year-old shot-stopper was disappointed by how her team played on the night but said that the performance would not define the eight-time champions as they seek to win a trophy they last lifted in 2013.

"It's an opportunity for us. We know how we can play football," she explained, adding that she had no preference for a quarterfinal opponent.

"Every team is a huge opponent for me. Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland or whatever. For me, the European Championship is one of the hardest tournaments and I just hang in there and that's why, no matter who faces us, they have to fear us."