The Palace Fan 3,409 Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Sweden Zlatan Ibrahimovic target has been featuring in Sweden's Euro 2020 team, however a persistent knee problem has robbed us the opportunity of seeing Zlatan at a major tournament one last time. Road to Euro 2020 Sweden had a memorable qualification campaign by finishing above Norway and Romania in their qualifying group. They kept five clean sheets which is is same as group winners Spain. They also scored 29 goals as they won six of their ten qualifying games. What to Expect Unlike many of the top teams in this tournament, Sweden have not focused on a possession based style. Aware of his side’s limitations, coach Janne Andersson has focused on tactical discipline and defensive organisation. By playing a compact 4-4-2, Andersson focuses on neutralising the opposition and being very direct when in possession. Their talent up front allows them to be a challenge for any side. A worrying highlight from their style of play however is their inconsistent defending. Sweden conceded nine goals in their ten qualifying matches, revealing a weakness that could be exposed by teams that are clinical at finishing their chances. Possible Lineup Kristoffer Nordfeldt was preferred to Robin Olsen in the recent World Cup Qualifiers and we believe he's done enough to convince Jan Andersson that he should retain his position. The defence seems settled with a back four consisting of Mikael Lustig, Victor Lindelof, Filip Helander and Ludwig Augustinsson. Sebastian Larsson tends to captain Sweden in a central midfield role and has built a good understanding with Kristoffer Olsson. We expect generational prodigy Dejan Kuluveski to play on the right side of midfield. Viktor Claesson was arguably Sweden's best player during qualification but we believe the technical ability of Emil Forsberg will be preferred given the importance of the fixtures against Poland and Slovakia in this group. Striker Robin Quaison netted five important goals for the Swedes in qualification and will be entrusted to fill the void left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's knee injury. Key Player When Alexander Isak joined Dortmund he was inevitably dubbed “the new Zlatan”. He fell short of expectations and was sold to Real Sociedad where he has flourished. He has become Sweden’s established first choice up front and the upcoming Euros will be seen as a major opportunity to show Dortmund they made a mistake by letting him leave. Prediction Sweden are expected to struggle in this tournament. Even if they do advance through the group stage then the lack of squad depth is likely to be an issue. However, their clinical nature in front of goal could catch out a few teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beelzebub 2,508 Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Just another Switzerland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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