Sweden 2020 UEFA Euro Betting
Once again, Zlatan Ibrahimovic hovers over everything for Sweden. One of the most talented forwards of the modern era retired from international play in 2016 after Sweden failed to win a game at the Euros. Not much was expected of this side without him, but the Swedes outperformed expectations at the 2018 World Cup. In their first appearance on that stage since 2006, they topped a group that included Mexico, South Korea, and Germany. The Swedes went on to beat Switzerland in the Round of 16 before falling to England in the quarterfinals.
Ibrahimovic announced that he would return to the national team in March. Janne Anderson put him in the starting XI, and while he didn’t score a goal, he made his presence felt. Although he is 39 years old, Sweden’s all-time leading goal scorer with 62 tallies is someone to be feared ahead of EURO 2020.
Sweden Squad Profile
UEFA Euro Odds: +8500
Coach: Janne Andersson
FIFA Ranking: 18
Best Finish: Semifinals (1992)
Group: E ( Spain, Slovakia and Poland )
How They Got Here
The Swedes earned the second automatic spot in Group F behind group winners Spain. Sweden drew Norway in both legs and settled for a loss and a draw against Spain, but they beat everyone else in the group to claim an automatic spot in this competition.
Team Preview
Ibrahimovic gives Sweden a real difference maker up top. Sweden’s all-time leading scorer has 15 goals in 17 appearances for AC Milan this season. He can still create something from nothing and continues to play high-level football although he will turn 40 later this year.
His presence will allow Marcus Berg to become a supporting forward. Berg was asked to do far too much at the last World Cup, but he is a quality goal scorer if he has help. He has 23 goals in 84 appearances with Sweden, and many of those tallies are from playing off Zlatan.
There aren’t other forwards of note on the roster, but Sweden does have some talented midfielders. Emil Forsberg wears No. 10 and does a good job setting up his teammates for both the national team and Red Bull Leipzig. Forsberg has 34 goals for Leipzig and eight goals for Sweden in his career. Viktor Claesson plays with Berg at Krasnodar, so there is a nice connection between the two, and Sebastian Larsson is solid as well.
Sweden focuses on its back line to win matches. The Swedes’ leader in the back is captain Andreas Granqvist, but their best defender is Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof. We have seen Lindelof become one of the top defenders in the Premier League while learning from Harry Maguire.
Robin Olsen shined in net during the 2018 World Cup. While Olsen has yet to really find a home in his professional career, he will be wearing the No. 1 for Sweden for at least another few years. Olsen has 42 caps for the national team.
Sweden Schedule
GROUP STAGE
Monday June 14
Spain vs. Sweden (Bilbao; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Friday June 18
Sweden vs. Slovakia (Dublin; 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m.)
Wednesday June 23
Sweden vs. Poland (Dublin; noon ET, 6 p.m.)
Sweden’s History at the European Championships
While Sweden has been to the semifinals of the World Cup four times, the Swedes have only been to the semifinals of the European Championships once. That came in 1992 when Sweden hosted the Euros and made their first appearance in the competition.
Sweden made history by winning its group as neither France nor England won a game and crashed out of the competition. The Swedes drew France and defeated Denmark and England to advance to the knockout rounds, but Germany proved to be too much for them in the semifinals.
This team hasn’t been able to get back to that point in five subsequent trips to the Euros. Sweden has failed to make it out of the Group Stage in four of those five appearances, as the lone exception saw the Swedes make it to the quarterfinals of the 2004 Euros. They picked up one win and three draws in that competition, but they lost to the Netherlands in penalties.
The Swedes finished dead last in their group at the 2016 Euros. Their only goal was an Ireland own goal in their first match, and they subsequently lost 1-0 to both Italy and Belgium. Both losses came late as Italy scored in the 88th minute and Belgium tallied in the 84th minute.
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