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Sweden and Spain return to action on Thursday, as they prepare to go head-to-head at the Friends Arena in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Sweden head into the game on the back of a round-of-16 exit from the Euros, while Spain made it all the way to the semis before losing to Italy on penalties.
Following their last-16 exit from the European Championship, Sweden return to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where they have a 100% record. After claiming a 1-0 victory over Georgia in their group opener, Jan Andersson’s men cruised to a 3-0 win over Kosovo in their second outing.
With six points from two games, Sweden are currently second in Group B, one point behind group leaders Spain.
Meanwhile, the Spaniards enjoyed a fine run at the Euros and, but their squad has a new look to it for the World Cup qualifiers.
They currently sit at the top of the group after picking up seven points from the nine available. La Roja are currently on a two-game winning streak in the qualifiers and will look to keep the ball rolling.
Sweden vs Spain Head-To-Head
Spain head into the game with a slight upper hand in the history of this fixture, claiming six wins from their previous 15 meetings. Sweden have picked up three fewer wins, while six games have ended in draws.
Sweden Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-W-W-L
Spain Form Guide (all competitions): D-W-W-W-L
Sweden vs Spain Team News
Sweden
Jan Andersson has named a 26-man squad for Sweden’s upcoming games, including the likes of Manchester United defender Victor Lindelöf, Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg and Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Spain
La Roja have called up 24 players to the national team. Pedri has been left out of the team after playing over 70 games for club and country last season. Thiago Alcantara has also been omitted from the squad, while West Ham United's Pablo Fornals returns to the fold, having last featured in 2018.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Sweden vs Spain Predicted XI
Sweden Predicted XI (4-4-2): Robin Olsen; Emil Krafth, Victor Lindelöf, Marcus Danielson, Ludwig Augustinsson; Kristoffer Olsson, Albin Ekdal, Emil Forsberg, Viktor Claesson; Alexander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski
Spain Predicted XI (4-3-3): David de Gea; Jordi Alba, Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte, Cesar Azpilicueta; Rodri, Sergio Busquets, Koke; Pablo Fornals, Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres
Sweden vs Spain Prediction
A handful of past outings have shown that Sweden have not been pushovers for the Spaniards, meaning we can expect another cagey contest. However, Spain head into the game as the better side in recent years, with three wins and two draws from their last five meetings.
We predict this trend to continue, with Spain claiming a narrow win on Thursday.
Prediction: Sweden 1-2 Spain
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