Sweden v Poland betting tips: Swedes in pole position
Preview and odds for the Group E match
Sweden are on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Euros for the first time since 2004 as they face Poland in Saint Petersburg.
Either of these teams could win the group but Poland start the day with just one point and will be eliminated unless they win in Russia.
Wednesday’s match is live on ITV and kicks off at 5pm as we highlight a few potential Sweden v Poland betting tips.
Sweden v Poland match odds
Sweden’s style of play has not been easy on the eye but four points from two games mean they are sitting pretty and a victory at 15/8 would see them go through as group winners.
A dour match against Slovakia on Friday briefly sprang to life around the hour mark with a flurry of chances culminating in Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka bringing down substitute Robin Quaison to allow Emil Forsberg to end Sweden’s run of 365 minutes without a goal at the tournament.
The Swedes won the match with just 42 per cent possession, having earned a 0-0 draw against Spain in their opener with just 15 per cent.
Coach Jan Andersson said: “Our defence was really good. We are really well organised and the players are sacrificing themselves for each other. Our attack should have more rewards, it was fantastic at times.
“We have played seven games this year and conceded only one goal. If people think we are difficult to play against I’m happy with that. The situation looks good, we’ve put ourselves in a good position.”
Under 2.5 goals is 3/5 so another cagey encounter looks likely while Sweden are 2/1 to keep another clean sheet and 10/3 to win to nil.
They only need to avoid defeat to secure a top-two finish and they are 1/2 to do so in the double chance market, with the draw on offer at 11/5.
A draw would be no use to Poland and they are 13/8 for the win which would secure a top-two finish while they would go through as group winners with a victory if Slovakia v Spain ends in a draw.
That would be quite a turnaround for the Poles, who lost 2-1 to Slovakia and then trailed Spain but they grabbed a deserved equaliser early in the second half when Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski headed in at the back post.
Sweden v Poland head-to-head
Sweden have won five successive meetings with Poland and had kept clean sheets in four of those before The Eagles at least managed a late consolation in a 3-1 defeat when the teams last met in a friendly in 2004.
Poland have not won this fixture since 1991 but at least came out on top in the only previous encounter at the finals of a major tournament.
That was during the second group stage at the 1974 World Cup when Poland claimed a 2-1 win in Stuttgart.
Previous XI
Sweden: Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Augustinsson, Danielsson, Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Olsson, Berg, Isak.
Poland: Szczesny, Bednarek, Glik, Bereszynski, Puchacz, Klich, Moder, Zielinski, Jozwiak, Lewandowski, Swiderski.
Key battles
It was felt heading into the tournament that Lewandowski would be vital to Poland’s chances of progressing and it still looks that way after his equaliser kept their hopes alive.
Lewandowski scored a record 41 Bundesliga goals last season and is the 11/4 favourite in the first goalscorer betting while he is 2/1 to find the net in a Poland win.
Sweden also carry an attacking threat in the shape of 21-year-old La Liga player of the year Alexander Isak, who produced one weaving run from deep against Slovakia which almost opened the scoring.
Isak also hit the post against Spain and is 8/5 to have two or more shots on target here.
View the latest Euro 2020 odds
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
