Sweden have been near the summit of international women’s football for some time now, with many of their players dotted around Europe’s top clubs. Bayern Munich Frauen have defender Hanna Glas and forward Sofia Jakobsson on their books, Chelsea Women are captained by Magdalena Eriksson and also have left-back Jonna Andersson in their team, whilst Kosovare Asllani is with Real Madrid Femenino and Fridolina Rolfo has this summer joined Barcelona Femeni.
However, one who initially played abroad (with Montpellier Feminines) before moving back home is 25-year-old striker Stina Blackstenius. She has established herself this season as a key player for BK Hacken, having moved from Damallsvenskan rivals Linkopings for the 2020 campaign, and was Sweden’s top scorer at the recent Tokyo Olympics, netting five goals. Based in Gothenburg, Hacken’s squad list also includes former Manchester United Women defender Lotta Okvist, Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk and Denmark’s ex-Aston Villa Women striker Stine Larsen, who joined after leaving the WSL side this summer.
In this tactical analysis, we will look at the impact Blackstenius has had on Hacken’s tactics, through her positioning, link-up play and how she leads the line, seeing why she has become so important for them. The scout report will also show where she can continue to improve as her career progresses.
Positioning
We will begin by looking at Stina Blackstenius’ positioning during matches. This will give us a good assessment of her movement and spatial awareness, both of which are critical in a striker’s game.
Here, we see Blackstenius, in the yellow circle, ahead of the ball, which is a common occurrence when she is on the field. As a result, her teammates always have a forward passing option available to them, meaning they can continue their attacks even when being closed down by opposing defenders. In their Olympics opening round win against the USA, this was a really important quality for Sweden to have, as the USA’s defence left spaces open for them to exploit. As Blackstenius thrives on these opportunities, the USA allowed Sweden to play to their strengths, which was part of the reason for Sweden’s win.
However, we can see how Blackstenius is individually key here. She sees the gap, pointing to where she wants the ball to go. The fact that her body is angled towards the goal shows how she is always on the front foot, seeing where she can create problems, and this is why she is such a dangerous opponent. She averages 8.48 touches in the penalty area per game, highlighting how much time she spends in the goal area during matches.
