It’s not often you see ‘Emil Krafth’ and ‘skill’ in the same sentence.
But the Newcastle United defender produced a moment of magic last night that Allan Saint-Maximin would be proud of.
Krafth was representing Sweden on Tuesday night, featuring in a crucial World Cup playoff. The Swedes faced Poland in Chorzów, battling for a place at Qatar 2022.
Sadly for Krafth and Sweden, it was Poland who triumphed. They won 2-0 thanks to goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski.
That means Poland are going to the World Cup, and Sweden aren’t.
While it was a heartbreaking night for Krafth and his teammates, the Toon defender did at least have one moment to remember.
The insane piece of skill by Emil Krafth
Just after the hour mark, the 27-year-old won the ball on the touchline with a tidy tackle. However, his challenge took him into the path of another Poland player.
Rather than fly into a second tackle, Krafth channeled his inner Saint-Maximin. The limited right-back produced a ‘Maradona spin’ to get himself out of danger, rolling the ball into the path of Dejan Kulusevski. You can see the clip below.
It was simply outrageous from Krafth – more so because of who he is. He’s not known for his moments of flair and skill.
This is a man who has scored once for Newcastle, and almost looked embarrassed when the ball hit the net.
Krafth has enjoyed a decent run in the side as of late, mainly due to injuries. But he has performed well under pressure.
However, Kieran Trippier is nearing a return, which could mean the end of Krafth’s inclusion in the starting XI.
He’s not fit yet though, meaning Krafth will be hoping to start on Sunday against Tottenham. It’s a straightforward choice for Eddie Howe – Krafth or Javi Manquillo.
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