Euro 2016 Preview - Sweden

Team: Sweden.

Manager: Erik Hamren.

Group: E.

Other teams in group: Belguim, Republic of Ireland, Italy.

 

 

The Sweden squad is a made up of a mixture of youth and experience. After Sweden’s under 21s won last year’s European Championships, many of their up and coming youthful players have pushed for inclusion in the final squad for Euro 2016 and this has been reflected in Erik Hamrén’s squad selection. 

 

Hamren, who will step down as Swedish manager after the tournament, has named six of last year’s successful under 21s team in the squad. Included is Celta Vigo’s John Guidetti, who Celtic fans will be familiar with after his loan stint at Celtic Park last year. The most promising young star in this Swedish squad is Victor Lindelof of Benfica, he played in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich and helped to keep Robert Lewandowski scoreless in both legs.

 

Of course, Sweden’s main man of the last decade, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, will captain the side. With 62 international goals in 113 international appearances, the striker’s skill and experience will be vital to Sweden’s hopes of progressing to the last-16. Although the most talented and arguably the most travelled of Sweden’s squad, Zlatan is backed up by other experienced squad members.

 

With 310 caps between them, the experienced trio of Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa), Kim Kallstrom (Grasshoppers) and Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar) will look to compliment Ibrahimovic and will certainly be important figures in the dressing room.

 

The Swedish squad contains a host of players who will be familiar to followers of British football, Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Martin Olsson (Norwich City) and Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland) are all included. Although all three have had indifferent seasons at club level, they will be looking to make a mark come June 13th. 

 

Sweden fielded an almost full strength team in a 3-0 friendly victory over Wales on June 5th and lined out with the following; Isaksson; Lustig, Johansson, Granqvist, Olsson; Larsson, Kallstrom, Lewicki, Forsberg; Berg, Ibrahimovic.

 

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa), Robin Olsen (København), Patrik Carlgren (AIK).

 

Defenders: Ludwig Augustinsson (København), Erik Johansson (København), Pontus Jansson (Torino), Victor Lindelof (Benfica), Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Martin Olsson (Norwich).

 

Midfielders: Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Oscar Hiljemark (Palermo), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moskva), Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor), Oscar Lewicki (Malmo), Emil Forsberg (Leipzig), Kim Kallstrom (Grasshoppers).

 

Forwards: Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos), John Guidetti (Celta), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (most recently of PSG), Emir Kujovic (Norrkoping).

 

 

Sweden qualified via the play-offs after finishing third in Group G, they finished ten points behind group winners Austria and two points behind second placed Russia. 

 

Favourites to win the group, the Swedes performed well in the early stages of qualification, with wins against Lichtenstein and Moldova, while a draw was secured away to Montenegro. However, Sweden later fared poorly against rivals Austria and Russia. 

 

After drawing 1-1 in Vienna, Sweden lost 4-1 at home to a David Alaba inspired Austria. They drew 1-1 at home to Russia while losing the return fixture 1-0. Sweden finished on 18 points, with a record of five wins, three draws and two defeats. This saw them finish in third place and left their qualification fate to the play-offs. 

 

Overall Ibrahimovic was essential to Sweden’s qualification. Of the 15 goals they scored in the group stages of qualifying, Zlatan scored eight, and he once again stole the show during the play-offs as Sweden met bitter rivals Denmark.

 

The Swedes crept through a Scandinavian derby by an aggregate score line of 4-3. Ibra scored three of the four goals as the Swedes won 2-1 at home, while drawing 2-2 in Copenhagen.

 

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is by far Sweden’s stand out player. Coach Erik Hamren described him as Sweden’s "only world class talent." 

 

Ibrahimovic enjoyed a fantastic season at both club and international level. He bagged 38 goals in 31 league appearances for PSG, while scoring five times in the Champions league. Zlatan is the player who Sweden will rely on if they are to avoid an early exit from the group stages. Sweden’s all time highest international goal scorer will strike fear into the hearts of Irish, Italian and Belgium fans and defenders alike.

 

Another player who deserves mention is Emil Forsberg (Leipzig). A 24 year old winger who can play on the left wing, but is often deployed on the right, Forsberg is arguably one of the best players in the German 2. Bundesliga. 

 

Forsberg has appeared 30 times this season for his club and has scored eight goals. He scored the important opening goal for his country against Denmark in the first play-off leg back in November of last year. He’s only played 16 times for Sweden but most of these caps have come in the last two years due to his significant rise to prominence.

 

He also scored the opening goal in Sweden’s recent victory over Wales. Forsberg will be a tricky customer and his crafty skills will ensure defenders are busy with him, while Ibrahimovi? finds space in the box.

 

 

Monday, June 13: Republic of Ireland v Sweden (1700BST, Stade de France, Paris).

Friday, June 17: Italy v Sweden (1400BST, Stadium de Toulouse).

Wednesday, June 22: Sweden v Belgium (2000BST, Stade de Nice).

 

Sweden will be based in Saint-Nazaire/Pornichet on France’s west coast.

 

 

The Sweden team will have custom made mattresses fitted into their hotel rooms in France. The beds, designed by Swedish company ‘YouBed’, will be customised to player’s specific tastes. 

 

Sweden’s best showing at a European Championships came in 1992 when they reached the semi-finals.

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the 15th highest international goal scorer of all time, averaging 0.56 goals per game. After failing to score against Wales, perhaps the big striker is due a few in the coming weeks.

 

 

Sweden 1-1 Czech Republic.

Sweden 0-0 Slovenia.

Sweden 3-0 Wales.

 

First game: June 13th, Republic of Ireland vs Sweden (Stade De France). KO 17:00.