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A lone goal from Dzsenifer Marozsán booked Germany a place in Sunday's UEFA Women's EURO 2013 final, where they will play either Denmark or Norway as they bid to win their sixth successive continental title.
The 1. FFC Frankfurt forward, starting in place of injured club-mate Célia Okoyino da Mbabi, settled a breathless encounter 12 minutes before the break. Sweden gave everything, particularly in the second half, but a combination of stoic Germany defending, wasteful finishing and the woodwork consigned them to a third semi-final defeat in five editions.
A Germany attack which, by their own prolific standards, had hitherto not fired in Sweden might have been blunted by the absence of Okoyino da Mbabi, yet that was far from the case in the opening 45 minutes. Indeed, it was Marozsán who had the first sight of goal. Anja Mittag, embroiled in a physical battle throughout with Nilla Fischer, slid in Simone Laudehr, whose cross was headed wide by Germany's No10.
Silvia Neid's side were far from cowed by the raucous Gamla Ullevi faithful and soon fashioned another opening, Sara Thunebro blocking Annike Krahn's effort on the line. From that clearance, Blågult captain Lotta Schelin outpaced Saskia Bartusiak and clipped an effort across goal.
Still the chances kept coming in a pulsating first period, with Mittag, having seized on an errant Schelin pass, eliciting a near-post stop from Kristin Hammarström before Josefine Öqvist dispossessed Laudehr and fired into the side netting.
