Lagerback had hoped to use the game to determine whether or not to include Tobias Linderoth in his final squad for Austria and Switzerland, and the decision looked to be an easy one when the midfielder popped up with the only goal of the game just before half-time.

But the hard-working 29-year-old, who has not played all season as he recovers from a hip injury, was replaced by Anders Svensson at half-time.

The match was supposed to be a fitness test for Linderoth, and Slovenia made sure that the game was more than a mere run-out for the Swedes as they started the contest brightly.

The visitors forced a corner in the second minute, before Dalibor Stevanovic brought the first save of the game out of Andreas Isaksson with a shot from 20 yards after six minutes.

Kennedy Bakircioglu, who may be Linderoth's replacement, created Sweden's first chance when he fired over after 15 minutes.

But it was Linderoth who stole the headlines with a goal from six yards three minutes before the break as the ball bobbled round in the area.

Henrik Larsson came on in the second half and went close twice in the first 10 minutes he was on the pitch.

But his shot from 18 yards which crashed onto the post after 55 minutes was the closest either side came to scoring another goal as Linderoth's strike proved decisive.