Preview: Sweden vs Slovakia
As Sweden and Slovakia prepare to clash in their Euro 2020 Group E encounter at Saint Petersburg’s Krestovsky Stadium, both teams look to build on mixed fortunes from their opening matches—Sweden's goalless draw with Spain and Slovakia's spirited victory over Poland.
Sweden
Sweden started their Euro 2020 campaign with a goalless draw against Spain on Monday, the 14th. The score line masked the true nature of an entertaining match, which saw plenty of chances at both ends.
The Swedes might have been trailing early if not for the agility of goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who kept out Dani Olmo's goal-bound header. The Blue and Yellow were on the defensive again when Spain's Koke came close with an improvised shot that narrowly missed the target.
Alvaro Morata then added to Spain's missed opportunities, dragging his shot wide. Five minutes before half-time, Sweden's Alexander Isak saw his attempt blocked by Llorente and ricochet off the woodwork after a clever move that left Aymeric Laporte on the ground.
Robin Olsen denied Dani Olmo once more before Marcus Berg failed to capitalize on Alexander Isak's skillful play. In stoppage time, Olsen was crucial again, thwarting a header by Gerard Moreno to maintain a clean sheet.
Despite a below-par performance, Sweden's coach, Janne Andersson, expressed satisfaction with the point earned. "To think we'd outplay them would have been naive," he mentioned in the post-match press conference, adding, "All in all, I'm not at all ashamed over this point."
Sweden remains unbeaten in six games across all competitions (WWWWWD) as they look ahead to their Match Day 2 fixture. Robin Olsen is expected to retain his position in goal after his outstanding performance against Spain. Juventus's Dejan Kulusevski, back after recovering from Coronavirus, may replace Berg up front in Sweden's 4-4-2 formation on Friday.
Slovakia
Meanwhile, Slovakia got off to a flying start with a 2-1 win over Poland on Monday. An own goal by Poland's goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, in the 18th minute put Slovakia in the lead.
Poland equalized through a well-worked team goal by Karol Linetty right after the break in the 49th minute. However, the Representatives restored their one-goal lead through Milan Skriniar in the 69th minute.
This came after they gained a numerical advantage when Poland’s Grzegorz Krychowiak received a red card following two yellows in the 62nd minute. It was the first red card of the tournament.
The win keeps Slovakia unbeaten in the last six games in all appearances, with the sequence being DDWDDW. The Falcons have 3 points with 1 win, 0 draws, and 0 losses ahead of this Match Day 2 fixture.
A conventional 4-4-2 formation looks likely for Slovakia in their second appearance of the tournament.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.