How Swedish media reacted to Leeds United star Gabriel Gudmundsson's performance in Poland win

Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson returned to the starting line-up as Sweden beat Poland 3-1 on Monday.

The 27-year-old missed out against Romania due to his fitness levels, with Graham Potter easing him back into action.

Gudmundsson missed Leeds' first two games of the season completely and was on the bench against Brentford in the third due to a hamstring issue.

He has started the three Premier League games since, but the national team manager was still cautious with the Elland Road ace.

Gudmundsson was part of a side that demolished the Poles at the Strawberry Arena in the UEFA Nations League clash.

However, the media in his homeland have not been as appreciate as they could have after such a big win.

What did the Swedish media say about Gabriel Gudmundsson?

Gudmundsson is one of the most well known players in the squad, and that may have resulted in over-expectation.

Fotbollskanalen gave the left-back a three out of five rating, saying: “The Leeds defender came into the starting lineup in place of Elliot Stroud, he wasn't particularly involved in attack and missed a couple of minutes of the first half when he ran off into the tunnel, a solid performance, especially defensively.”

Expressen handed him a two out of five, saying: “Back in the starting XI after being dropped for the opener. Things worked significantly better with Nanasi in the second half than with Zeneli in the first. That may well have gone hand in hand with Sweden playing much better, too.”

Svenskafans.com also gave the Whites ace a two out of five, saying: “I certainly think 'God' should always be in the starting XI.

"He plays every match in the Premier League (for Leeds United). I feel he deserves the national team’s trust; he brings energy, puts in the work at both ends of the pitch, and is a player you can rely on.”

The bits of criticism within those reactions seem quite harsh, but what does the data say?

How did Gudmundsson perform away from Leeds?

Gudmundsson featured for the full 90 minutes in Solna, and he can't complain about the criticism.

Daniel Farke labelled him as "outstanding" in April 2026, but he was not at his best this time around.

The Peacocks ace had 57 touches, with just one coming in the opposition box, per FotMob data.

He made three passes into the final third but failed with the only cross that he attempted in the contest, as his attacking attributes did not shine on this occasion.

Defensively, he made five contributions, with two blocks, two clearances and one interception

In terms of duels, he won none of the three that he contested on the ground and the only aerial battle that he fought for.

It was far from his best display in the national team, but the rustiness of coming back in after being left out must be taken into account.

It will not concern Farke at the moment, because he has been a reliable option on both sides of the ball at club level so far in the campaign.