Sweden and Poland will clash on Wednesday, June 23, at Gazprom Arena for their final match of the EURO 2020 group stage. The Swedes are already guaranteed promotion but need a few more points to lock in the top seed, whereas the Eagles need nothing less than a win to keep their chances of progressing alive.
Sweden vs Poland
When: Wednesday, June 23 – 19:00 MSK
Where: Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Weather: Intermittent Clouds, 27°C
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Sweden are already through to the next stage, but that shouldn’t discourage them from chasing all three points. Finishing top of Group E would earn them a much easier opponent in EURO 2020 knockout stage, where they’ll face a third-placed team from A/B/C/D. That alone should be good enough of a motivation for the Blue and Yellow to step up today.
Poland, on the other side, need a win and nothing less. A draw or a defeat would see them eliminated from the tournament, whereas a win could potentially secure them a spot in the next stage of the competition.
With a lot on the line for both teams and no room for error, this evening’s spectacle at the Gazprom Arena promises to be an exciting one.
Sweden Could Win Group E
Sweden entered EURO 2020 expected to compete with Poland for a second-place finish, but they soon proved they’re much more than a runner-up to Spain. After forcing a goalless draw with La Roja in their EURO 2020 opener, Sweden added a 1-0 victory against Slovakia.
Their performances earned Sweden four points and a 1-0 goal difference, which is good for a top spot in Group E. Although an impressive position Sweden have found themselves in, some may argue that their win against Slovakia was undeserved.
Looking back to Friday, Sweden beat Slovakia 1-0, largely thanks to Emil Forsberg’s successfully converted penalty in 77’. Although that was the only goal of the day, it’s more than fair to say that Janne Andersson’s men deserved to win.
They were the better team overall and proved to be excellent in the back, preventing Slovakia from producing a single shot on goal across 90 minutes. Given the success Sweden have had over the tournament, Andersson likely won’t be making any changes to his starting XI. And that’s completely fine.
A Win Or Nothing for Poland
Poland kicked off their EURO 2020 campaign with a 1-2 loss to Slovakia and quickly improved their impression with a solid 1-1 draw with Spain in Seville. Even though you could say that La Roja were the better team on the day and that they should have won, Poland still held on well and defended their goal efficiently.
While defending was solid, Poland failed to show anything of note in the attack. They produced five shots, only two of which were directed towards Spain’s goal. Robert Lewandowski converted one of those changes but hasn’t had many more opportunities to showcase his goalscoring prowess.
It’s also worth noting that Spain missed a penalty on the day. With that in mind, the Eagles could have easily been without a single point ahead of today’s bout.
In regards to team news, Poland can now count on Grzegorz Krychowiak, who has returned from suspension.
Sweden vs Poland
Sweden don’t necessarily need to win, whereas Poland are left with no other option but to pick up all three points or start packing their bags. Suffice to say, the pressure to perform is on the Eagles, granted that doesn’t mean the Swedes won’t show the motivation to end their EURO 2020 group run with seven points.
Sweden have been fairly effective in their defensive approach this tournament, and we expect they’ll opt for the same strategy here. This should work well into Poland who have not shown too much in the final third, failing to supply Lewandowski with the ball for him to showcase his abilities.
Prediction: Sweden +0.00 Asian Handicap (same as Draw no Bet) – 2.09 at Pinnacle
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