Sweden vs Ukraine Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When does Sweden vs Ukraine kick off? Sweden vs Ukraine will take place on Tuesday 29th June, 2021 at 20:00 (UK)
Where is Sweden vs Ukraine being played? Sweden vs Ukraine will take place at Hampden Park, Glasgow
Where can I get tickets for Sweden vs Ukraine? Click here for the latest ticket information for Sweden vs Ukraine
What television channel is Sweden vs Ukraine on in the UK? Sweden vs Ukraine will be televised live on BBC
Where can I stream Sweden vs Ukraine in the UK? This match can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All matches: Sweden 1 win, Ukraine 3 wins, 1 draw
Last meeting: Ukraine 2-1 Sweden (11/06/12)
THE LOWDOWN
SWEDEN
- Sweden topped Group E courtesy of victory in their final match against Poland that saw them come out 3-2 victors in a thrilling encounter that saw substitute Viktor Claesson secure a last-gasp winner.
- This match saw striker Robin Quaison start ahead of Marcus Berg for the first time in the tournament and head coach Janne Andersson has a difficult decision to make on whether or not to reinstate Berg into the starting line-up.
- Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski made only his first appearance at EURO 2020 as a substitute against Poland due to a positive COVID-19 test suffered ahead of the tournament and made an immediate impression with two assists, so Andersson faces another tough choice on whether to keep him as an impact substitute or to field him from the start.
UKRAINE
- Ukraine were fortunate to qualify for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed finishers after being beaten 1-0 by Austria in their final Group C fixture, their second defeat of the tournament so far.
- Most worrying for Ukraine has to be their defence, when considering that they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight competitive matches and already conceded five goals over the course of EURO 2020 so far.
- Head coach Andriy Shevchenko is sweating over the fitness of both Olexandr Zubkov and Viktor Tsygankov, with both suffering from calf injuries and Shevchenko will be hoping that the latter in particular recovers in time so that he can be fielded as part of the front three, whilst Ruslan Malinovskiy shuffles back into a more central role.
THE TEAM NEWS
SWEDEN
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Olsen; Lustig, Lindelof, Danielsson, Augustinsson; Larsson, Olsson, Ekdal, Forsberg; Berg, Isak
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
UKRAINE
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Bushchan; Karavayev, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko; Stapanenko, Malinovskiy Zinchenko; Yarmolenko, Yaremchuk, Tsygankov
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE: Tsygankov (Injured), Zubkov (Injured)
THE KEY STATS
- Sweden have won seven and drawn one of their last eight international matches – Sweden to win
- Sweden have only failed to score in one of their last ten international matches – Sweden to score
- Emil Forsberg has scored the first goal in three of Sweden’s last four international matches – Emil Forsberg to score the first goal
- Ukraine have not scored a goal in six of their last eight EURO final tournament matches – Ukraine to not score
- Ukraine have conceded the first goal in eight of their previous nine EURO final tournament matches – Sweden to score first
THE PREDICTION
After a hugely successful group stage that saw them not only hold Spain to a 0-0 draw, but also finish above them in Group E, Sweden head into the round of 16 riding the crest of a wave. In contrast, Ukraine’s confidence will have been dented by their defeat against Austria, although this represents an opportunity for them against a country who is not perceived to be one of the ‘heavy hitters’ in the tournament. Injuries have proven a problem for Ukraine, with key player Malinovskiy forced to play out wide due to a lack of options in that position, whereas Sweden are starting to reap the rewards that come with having a strong squad, as their substitutes all made hugely positive impressions vs Poland. With Kulusevski firmly back in the fold and midfielder Emil Forsberg in excellent goalscoring form, Sweden’s winning momentum and strength in depth should see them triumph over Ukraine in this one.
Tip: SWEDEN TO WIN
For fixtures, results, TV schedule, top scorers and plenty more, visit our tournament home page here!
