Sweden and Northern Ireland are among the few national teams that will not play in the World Cup qualifiers during this international break. Instead, they face off in an important friendly clash that will help them adjust their tactics for future matches.
Sweden finished their job in the UEFA Nations League perfectly and will deservedly play in League B in the next edition. The team recorded five wins in six games, with their only misstep being a draw against Slovakia. In the process, they scored 19 goals and conceded only four.
The Blue-Yellows will have to wait nearly six more months until their first World Cup qualifier, but they plan to play a few friendlies between now and then. Interestingly, however, they lost their last one four days ago against Luxembourg, failing to even score a goal.
Northern Ireland had similar success in the UEFA Nations League over the last six months and managed to win their group and promotion to League B. They only conceded one loss, which was a complete surprise. The team has seen significant growth over the last two years, even recording significant wins against teams like Denmark and Scotland. They also played one friendly during the week, coming to a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
How the bookies view it: Are bookmakers underestimating the visitors?
Bookmakers give the hosts a significant advantage in the odds. This fixture will be played in Solna, Sweden, and although it will be a friendly, the home advantage will certainly matter. You can pick Sweden at 1/2, the draw at 16/5, or Northern Ireland at 21/4.
Recent head to head: No recent clashes but an overall advantage for Northern Ireland
Sweden and Northern Ireland have a rich history of clashes in qualifying matches for European and World Cups, but no direct meetings from recent years. Their last encounters were in 2007 when the Green and White Army won in Belfast and took a point in Solna. Overall, Northern Ireland hold the H2H advantage with three wins next to Sweden's two. We can't take anything from those old meetings, but we can say that both teams have played pretty solidly over the last year.
Players to watch: Isak should use this match to regain his confidence
At the moment, we can only guess what lineups both teams will come out with, so it's hard to pick a player who is likely to shine. Alexander Isak certainly remains the main choice in the Swedish squad, but it is uncertain how many minutes he will get. He played 61 minutes against Luxembourg and had one shot on target, failing to score. Nevertheless, he scored four goals in four UEFA Nations League games in 2024.
Probable line-ups
Sweden: Olsen, Starfelt, Lindelof, Gudmundsson, Holm, Ayari, Karlstrom, Saletros, Sema, Elanga, Isak
Northern Ireland: Charles, Hume, McNair, Brown, Spencer, Smyth, Charles, Saville, Smyth, Bonis, Price
Anything else catch the eye?
Sweden were far from playing their best football against Luxembourg and lost. They barely managed two shots on target, although they controlled the possession for 63% of the time. Nevertheless, Luxembourg won 1-0.
We expect a more serious performance from Sweden on home turf, though this is a friendly match of no consequence. However, we also expect a relatively strong performance from North Ireland, who played a great game against Switzerland during the week. Sweden will control the action as Northern Ireland gave 75% possession to Switzerland. But the team feels in their own waters when they have to play on the counter and we expect them to have their moments in this clash.
This International Friendly match between Sweden and Northern Ireland will be played on and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sweden vs Northern Ireland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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