Sweden want revenge for European exit

BREMEN, Germany, June 22 (Reuters) Sweden are relishing the chance of knocking hosts Germany out of the World Cup and gaining belated revenge for their semi-final defeat on their own soil at Euro 92, coach Lars Lagerback said today.

''Yes, that's a really good comparison,'' Lagerback said when asked if Saturday's match were a chance to pay Germany back for the 1992 defeat in Stockholm by spoiling their party in 2006.

''I would really like to do that,'' he added. ''It would be good. I was one of the co-coaches in 1992. It wasn't a nice thing to experience, to lose at home in a big tournament.'' ''It was a good game,'' Lagerback said of that 1992 match.

''Germany played very well. I think they deserved to win.'' Germany lost the European final to Denmark in 1992.

Sweden, with five points from three Group B matches, took second behind England after they played a 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

Germany finished top of Group A with nine points and have gained momentum as the tournament goes on.

The Swedish coach said he was not worried about facing a rapidly improving Germany team playing before a home crowd in Munich. He said his players would be able to handle the pressure of playing in front of a partisan crowd of 66,000.

Lagerback expressed some concerns that the home crowd could influence the referee and linesmen.

''Of course it's a little advantage for the German team,'' he said.

''The most important thing is that we have a referee who can handle the situation with a lot of German people in the stands.'' REUTERS DH PC1919