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Europa League: Sweden vs Slovakia
Kickoff Time: 2024-11-17 03:45(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/ TT News Agency
After Sweden failed to qualify for the Euro 2024 finals, the Swedish Football Association decided to rebuild and appointed Danish legendary striker Jon Dahl Tomasson as the head coach. Since taking charge, Tomasson has led the team in eight matches, improving from one win and three losses in the first four matches to three wins and one draw in the most recent four. The squad announced by the Swedish Football Association includes several stars playing in the Premier League, such as Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof, Ipswich midfielder Jens Cajuste, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dejan Kulusevski, and Nottingham Forest forward Anthony Elanga. A slight disappointment is that Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, who has been scoring consecutively, is sidelined due to injury. In addition to the Premier League stars, Sweden also has Viktor Gyokeres, who plays for Sporting Lisbon. Last week, in the Champions League match against Manchester City, Gyokeres scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player this season to score three goals against Manchester City. In the UEFA Nations League, Gyokeres has also been in great form, contributing four goals and three assists, participating in 63.63% of Sweden’s goals.
Slovakia has advanced to the round of 16 in the Euro 2024 and nearly eliminated England. Italian coach Francesco Calzona, with his rich coaching experience and ability to train players, has made the Slovakia team full of fighting spirit. Compared to Sweden’s star-studded lineup, Slovakia appears relatively average. According to the squad announced by the Slovak Football Association, only four players are in the top five leagues: Newcastle’s substitute goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, Paris Saint-Germain defender Milan Skriniar, Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, and Bochum midfielder Matus Bero. Additionally, the team boasts Ivan Schranz, who is tied for the top scorer of Euro 2024, having scored against both England and Belgium. However, Slovakia’s stars are hindered by injuries to varying degrees, making their competitive state uncertain. For instance, Ivan Schranz has been absent from league matches since early September, Lobotka just returned to the league last week, and Bero has only played 134 minutes since the October international break. In a pre-match press conference, coach Calzona stated that he does not want to use player injuries as an excuse and believes in his players and the team, hoping to end this away trip on a positive note.
Due to the impact of injuries and the away game, Slovakia is expected to strengthen midfield interceptions and adopt a more solid defensive strategy. Sweden already has an advantage in midfield passing; if they can enhance their attacking on the wings, they are likely to breach Slovakia’s defense as the match progresses. It is expected that Sweden will secure all three points in this match.
Sweden’s Last 5 Games: WDWWL
24-10-15 Estonia 0-3 Sweden
24-10-12 Slovakia 2-2 Sweden
24-09-09 Sweden 3-0 Estonia
24-09-06 Azerbaijan 1-3 Sweden
24-06-08 Sweden 0-3 Serbia
Slovakia’s Last 5 Games: WDWWD
24-10-15 Azerbaijan 1-3 Slovakia
24-10-12 Slovakia 2-2 Sweden
24-09-09 Slovakia 2-0 Azerbaijan
24-09-06 Estonia 0-1 Slovakia
24-06-30 England 1-1 Slovakia (AET 2-1)
Head To Head Record:
24-10-12 Slovakia 2-2 Sweden
21-06-18 Sweden 1-0 Slovakia
18-10-17 Sweden 1-1 Slovakia
17-01-12 Sweden 6-0 Slovakia
13-03-27 Slovakia 0-0 Sweden
Prediction: Sweden to win