Spain vs Sweden Euro 2020 Prediction
The Euro 2020 soccer match between Spain and Sweden has attracted a lot of attention. Both sides have a rich history of creating world-class players, but Spain probably just about beats Sweden in this regard.
However, coming into this tournament, there’s a slightly different dynamic at play than in past meetings. Both countries are below their recent peaks, with the all-conquering Spanish side of the late 2000s and early 2010s a distant memory. Also, arguably the greatest Swedish player ever, Zlatan, has retired from international duty. This means that Euro 2020 betting odds on this game will be a little bit tighter than in previous years.
So, let’s take a look at the important information we need to know before we make a prediction on who will win.
Head to head
Spain and Sweden have a fairly one-sided head-to-head record. Over the previous 15 meetings between the two sides, Spain has won seven of them. But there have also been five draws, and Sweden has won just three times. This means that Spain has won more than double the number of games that Sweden have.
When this is narrowed down to the last four meetings between Spain and Sweden, things get even more one-sided. Spain has won three of the last four, with the remaining game being a draw. This puts Spain in the stronger position of the two teams, both in the long term and the short term.
Squad quality and danger men
Sweden has a strong history of creating world-class players. Thomas Brolin, Henrik Larsson, Martin Dahlin and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are just some of the top-level players that have ascended through Sweden’s ranks over the years.
This current squad is not quite on the same level, though. The squad that was used to qualify for Euro 2020 was full of decent, but not spectacular, footballers. It was functional and did the job, but there were no real world-class talents. However, things could change during this tournament.
Emil Forsberg is a player with bundles of ability and could make a difference for Sweden if he is chosen for Euro 2020. Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak are both young players with lots of potentials. If chosen to travel, Euro 2020 could be their coming out party if they perform to their potential.
There’s also the surprise package of John Guidetti, who has for years been spoken about as a potential top-level player if he’s given his chance. Could this be the year that he takes it?
Spain, on the other hand, has a wealth of skilled players in their squad. De Gea and Kepa, two quality goalkeepers, present Enrique with a good selection to choose from.
Ramos, Carvajal, Alba, Martinez and Llorente are just a few of the accomplished defenders available for Enrique to pick from. The midfield speaks for itself, with Isco, Suso, Rodri, Busquets and Olmo all present and able to perform.
The forwards are less well-stocked, but Alcacer and Morata have both played at the highest level.
There is also the possibility that Spain will call up Adama Traore, who has emerged at Wolves recently. He’s been showing that he’s one of the best dribblers in the world this season, after completing the most dribbles in the Premier League by a significant distance.
If Spain decides to take him, he could be a potential match-winner on the world stage.
Final prediction
Choosing the overall winner of Spain vs Sweden game is a little more difficult than you might think. Although Spain has an undoubtedly superior squad to Sweden, there are two factors that should be taken into account that might give Sweden a slight advantage.
Firstly, the Swedish team has some young players that could emerge between now and the tournament, all with the potential to add extra quality to the Swedish team. Secondly, Sweden managed a draw in their last game against Spain, which could give them a confidence boost going into the tournament.
Despite these factors, Spain should still have enough to be able to beat Sweden in their first tournament game. On top of the proven quality, the Spanish squad possesses, Spain are also playing the game at a home venue.
This means they will have home advantage, and this should swing it in their favour. Spain should grab the win in this game, but still expect both teams to qualify from the group.