Sweden kick off their 2018 World Cup campaign at 13:00 local time on Monday 18th June at the Stadion Nizhny Novgorod, which is a brand new stadium built for the World Cup.
You would be forgiven to think that this game was a foregone conclusion before a ball has even been kicked because Sweden are ranked 23rd in the world and Korea Republic are as low as 61st. The game will not be as plain sailing as one may think, mostly because Sweden are not one of Europe’s powerhouse teams; in fact they are quite average.
Our friends at Bovada make Sweden the favorites to win with odds of +115, but the draw is only +225 and a Korean victory comes in at +270. Sweden scored 26 goals and conceded nine during 10 qualification games for an average of 3.6 goals per game. Korea Republic leaked a goal a game on average so the +140 on the over 2.5 goals market could be a good shout. We also like the look of the -200 on a Sweden win in the Draw No Bet market and would not deter anyone placing a wager.
Sweden vs Korea Key Bites
The Swedes should be too strong for Korea Republic although Korea will not simply lay down and let Sweden have their own way on the pitch. Sweden have, in Marcus Berg, a legitimate goal threat and he will be the man Korea Republic has to stop.
Sweden, however, do not seem to have that creative spark in the middle of the park and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic not being called up to recent squads, they lack that star quality too.
While it is unlikely Korea Republic will even get out of the group, never mind reach the semi-finals like they did in 2004, they have a trio of top players who can cause Sweden some serious trouble.
Midfielders Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong both have a wealth of Premier League experience while Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur was playing in the Champions League this season.
This is the 12th time Sweden has qualified for the World Cup finals but they are a shadow of the side that progressed to the semi-finals of the competition back in 1994.
You know what to expect from Sweden whenever they take to the field of play. This modern day Swedish side prefers to play a 4-4-2 formation with two banks of four that are difficult to manoeuver and break down, and all 11 players are prepared for the fight and are very physical.
Victor Lindelof may have been a little unsettled since his £31 million transfer to Manchester United last summer but he has a good understanding with the Swedish captain Andreas Granqvist in the heart of the defense. Pontus Jansson, a no nonsense stopped, is a solid understudy to that pair if either lose form or become injured.
Sebastian Larsson and Albin Ekdal will sit in front of the back four with Larsson being the more defensive minded of the two. Coach Janne Andersson says that Ekdal is one of his most intelligent players and a key figure in the Swedish squad.
Victor Claesson and Emil Forsberg should start on either win with the former being a superb dead ball specialist. Twenty-four year old Ken Sema is the perfect player to come off the bench as he can play on either flank, is powerful and will trouble any defender.
The Swedes like to partner Marcus Berg and Ola Toivonen as the forwards. Berg netted eight goals during qualifying and enjoyed a superb first season for Al Ain in the UAE league so goes into the tournament full of confidence.
Korea Republic also line up with a 4-4-2 formation although their defense is nowhere near as solid as the Swedish back four. Korea Republic need to be extremely disciplined in defense or they risk being humiliated on more than one occasion.
This squad has a slight advantage over Sweden in that many of its players are fresh physically and mentally. Players from the K and J1 leagues are in the middle of their seasons so head to Russia fully fit. Those who ply their trade in Europe, like the majority of the Swedish side, have endured a long season for their clubs.
Son Heung-min will be the best forward in the pitch and is Korea Republic’s star man. The Tottenham Hotspur scored 18 goals last season from 56 appearances in all competitions. That is a lot of football to have played and the fact he hasn’t scored since bagging a brace against Bournemouth in March, a run of 13 games, is far from idea for Korea Republic.
We initially thought this would be a foregone conclusion and Sweden would run away with it, but now we are liking the look of a Korea Republic upset at +315 if nothing more than the fact Sweden can struggle to push their advantage when they are installed as favorites.
Those of you who prefer to bet on goalscorers should probably look no further than Marcus Berg or Son Heung-min to score the opening goal at odds of +150 with our friends at Bovada; both players are their respective team’s biggest goal threat.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : FIFA World Cup , Soccer
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