Style of play
SWEDEN TEND TO play a fast, direct style of football, that’s relatively unspectacular on the eye (the occasional heroics of Zlatan Ibrahimovic aside). They’re hard-working and rely primarily on the long ball, though they do possess technically gifted players such as Kim Kallstrom. Like Ireland, they generally tend to play 4-4-2, though they often have one slightly deep-lying striker — normally Ibrahimovic. They are particularly proficient at playing clever lofted balls behind the defence for the strikers to run onto, as the goals from the Germany game (see below) illustrate.
Key men
Andreas Isaksson: Having earned 107 caps for his country, Isaksson is effectively the Swedish equivalent of Shay Given, coming into the team in Euro 2004 and not losing his place since. He had a brief spell at Man City before enjoying more success at PSV and now plays for Kasımpaşa in the Turkish league.
Zlatan Ibrahimović: Undoubtedly Sweden’s biggest threat, Ibrahimovic is considered one of the world’s best players, enjoying a career in which he has played at Inter, Barcelona and Milan among others, while now residing at PSG. He has 44 goals in 91 appearances for his country, so can hardly be accused of failing to replicate his club form at international level.
Kim Kallstrom: At 31, Kallstrom may be past his peak, but he still represents a considerable threat. He is one of the most creative midfielders to come out of Sweden for a while, and is capable of operating in a variety of positions. At his best, he has an ability to dictate the play and is also adept at free-kick taking. Yet irrespective of such prowess, there are doubts over whether Kallstrom will play, after he was left out of the recent friendly with Norway owing to difficulties getting first-team football with his club.
Form of players at club level
Many of their main players tend to be the wrong side of 30 and have perhaps unsurprisingly moved clubs in the past year or two. Isaksson, Kallstrom, Ibrahimovic and Andreas Granqvist (their regular, seasoned centre-back, who is suspended for the Ireland game) all fall into this category. Ibra had an excellent first season at PSG, scoring 30 goals in 37 appearances. Kallstrom, on the other hand, has struggled to get into the Spartak Moscow side, while Granqvist has just moved to FC Krasnodar from Genoa, having been linked with West Brom and Crystal Palace. Isaksson, meanwhile, was a virtual ever-present Kasımpaşa last year.
Celtic fans will know that Mikael Lustig is a regular starter for them. Sebastian Larsson has featured in all of Sunderland’s games so far, Ola Toivonen has been playing consistently with PSV and Alexander Kačaniklić has struggled at Fulham, going out on loan to Burnley. Pierre Bengtsson is a regular for Copenhagen, Johan Elmander has just signed for Norwich on loan, Albin Ekdal has started both Calgiari’s games in Serie A this season, and Jonas Olsson has started all of West Brom’s Premier League games so far.
What we’ve learned from their qualifiers
YouTube credit: lordmoynetube
They tend to be a little erratic. Their game away to Germany emphasises this tendency — they went 4-0 down, only to instigate a miraculous 4-4 fightback. They survived a scare when they went 1-0 down in the second half away against Faroe Islands, but they didn’t panic, ultimately securing a 2-1 victory. Their 2-1 loss away to Austria was a blow to their hopes of securing second place, and one that very much put Ireland right back in the qualification frame. Moreover, Ireland arguably produced their best performance of the campaign against the Swedes, keeping their attack relatively quiet and generally having the better of the play, though failing to score an all-important winning goal.
What they have to say about Ireland
Sweden manager, Erik Hamrén: “I think Ireland are a really good team. I am full of respect for them.
“They played in the Euros last summer and, if you see the away statistics from Ireland, you can see they are a really tough team to beat.
“I expect a tough game and they always, in my opinion, play with their heart for the green shirt.
“The players are ready and I am ready. It will be a tough game and we need to be really good. We have set our goal to be that good.”
Squad: Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa) Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Heerenveen) Johan Wiland (FC Copenhagen); Mikael Antonsson (Bologna), Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Pierre Bengtsson (FC Copenhagen), Rasmus Bengtsson (FC Twente), Adam Johansson (IFK Gothenburg), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Per Nilsson (Nuernberg), Jonas Olsson (West Brom), Martin Olsson (Norwich); Jimmy Durmaz (Genclerbirligi), Albin Ekdal (Cagliari), Johan Elmander (Norwich), Tobias Hysen (IFK Gothenburg), Kim Kallstrom (Spartak Moscow), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain), Alexander Kacaniklic (Fulham), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Erkan Zengin (Eskiserhirspor).
Possible starting line-up: Andreas Isaksson; Mikael Lustig, Jonas Olsson, Per Nilsson, Pierre Bengtsson; Sebastian Larsson, Kim Kallstrom, Alexander Kačaniklić, Albin Ekdal; Johan Elmander, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
