Sweden vs Austria

Sweden and Austria are set to square off at Friends Arena in a crucial Euro 2024 qualifying Group F clash.

Despite blowing hot and cold across their four Euro 2024 qualifiers (W2, L2), Sweden’s hopes of maintaining their impressive record of reaching every final tournament in the 21st century are still alive and kicking. An emphatic 5-0 victory at Estonia last time out saw Janne Andersson’s side bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Austria and maintain a four-point deficit on the second-placed Austrians ahead of this pivotal clash. However, ‘Blagult’ must arrest their underwhelming four-game winless H2H run (D1, L3) to bolster their qualification chances. The impending home return should come in handy, with Sweden racking up five wins in their last six internationals on home soil (L1), including a brace of 4+ goal margin victories in the build-up to this encounter.

Meanwhile, Austria could only manage a disappointing 1-1 draw against sub-par Moldova in a friendly last weekend, yet they’ve extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches (W6, D2). Except for a dramatic 1-1 stalemate on Belgian soil on matchday three, Ralf Rangnick’s men have won all three remaining Euro 2024 qualifiers by an aggregate score of 8-2, netting multiple goals on each occasion. Avoiding defeat in Solna could be a qualification-defining achievement for ‘Das Team,’ which would solidify their quest to reach the Euro finals for the third tournament running. While their all-time H2H record against Sweden remains narrowly positive (W18, D6, L14), the Austrians have emerged victorious just once on their last four international travels (D1, L2), suggesting they cannot take anything for granted.