Read our prediction for Sweden vs Italy below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Sweden vs Italy and you can increase your winnings!
Sweden vs Italy Prediction & Betting tips
At the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, the World Cup qualifying play-off first leg between Sweden and four-time world champion Italy will take place on 10 November at 19.45. The decisive second leg will be played on Monday 13th November at 19.45 in Milan.
Sweden :
The Swedes have been able to surprise many football experts in the group stage of the European Championship qualifiers. In a difficult group the team of Janne Andersson left the Netherlands and Bulgaria behind and they took second place behind the favored Frenchman. The place in the play-offs paved a home win against the strong French, which were defeated in Solna by the Swedes surprisingly 2-1. Thus, the Netherlands needed a high victory in the last game against Sweden, but Robben & Co did not succeed. In the year after Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who announced his retirement from the Swedish national team in the summer of 2016, other players now come to the fore. The Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg, for example, has played a large part in the success of the Sweden so far. With his ingenious passes, he can repeatedly pinpricks and bring almost every opponent in trouble. In the front of the storm are then often the ex-Hamburger Marcus Berg or Ola Toivonen ready to complete for the Swedes. However, the Swedes are against Italy as a clear underdog in the two upcoming games, but of course there are many Swedish supporters hope to annoy the four-time world champion, and the Italians premature withdrawal from the World Cup traffic. Four years ago, Sweden had been in the World Cup play-offs before, when the yellow-blue ones lost in two games against Portugal and were not allowed to participate in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. If Sweden make the surprise against the Squadra Azzurra, it would be the 12th World Cup participation.
Janne Andersson likes it classically and likes to put his team in the 4-4-2 system. This is how Sweden could play:
Olsen – Augustinsson, Granqvist, Lindelöf, Lustig – Larsson, Johansson, Claesson, Forsberg – Toivonen, mountain
Italy:
Italy clearly had to give preference to Spain in the group stage. In the home game ended the match against Spain Although still 1: 1 draw, but the Italian lost the second leg in Madrid clearly with 0: 3. Against group opponents Macedonia, there was also only an embarrassing 1: 1 in front of a home crowd. In addition, Italy often narrowly won other qualifiers against their group’s teams, including Albania and Israel. In the upcoming play-offs, it’s all about the men of coach Gian Piero Ventura. A premature departure would be an unthinkable disaster for the quadruple world champion and the whole of Italy. So far, there are 18 finals entries and the Azzurri 2006 brought the World Cup trophy to Italy. In order to solve the World Cup ticket to Russia next year, Italy is actually well enough positioned. The central defense is in person of Chiellini and Bonucci very experienced, further support gets the defense by their now 39-year-old keeper Gianluigi Buffon. In midfield, Marco Verratti or Roberto Gagliardini could pull the strings, while in the offensive Lorenzo Insigne, Antonio Candreva, Andrea Belotti or Ciro Immobile are responsible for goals.
Italy also likes to play in the 4-4-2 system, so it can be assumed that coach Gian Piero Ventura will set up as follows:
Buffon – Spinazzola, Bonucci, Chiellini / Barzagli, Darmian – Ferrati, Gagliardini, Insigne, Candreva – Immobile, Belotti
Sweden vs Italy head to head matches
17.06.16 EUR Italy Sweden 1 : 0
18.11.09 FI Italy Sweden 1 : 0
18.06.04 EUR Italy Sweden 1 : 1
19.06.00 EUR Italy Sweden 2 : 1
22.02.00 FI Italy Sweden 1 : 0