Norway vs Sweden
Two fierce Scandinavian rivals renew hostilities once again as Sweden and Norway face off in Oslo for the first of their two Euro 2020 qualifying matchups.
Sweden got off to a winning start in the group as they overcame Romania, 2-1, in their opening match. Meanwhile, Norway did not fare as well as they fell 2-1 away to group favourite Spain in their first assignment.
However, the Norwegians will have the benefit of home-field advantage against their Nordic neighbours, who will have to deal with a couple of crucial omissions from their squad.
Norway manager — and former Sweden boss — Lars Lagerback — will be eager to take advantage of those absentees to get on the board in qualifying at the expense of his home country.
Talking Points
Stiff Norwegian defence
Norway’s trip to Spain turned out how many expected. The Norwegians were pretty handily dominated by the superior Spanish, who enjoyed 67 per cent of possession and had a whopping 26 shot attempts. But Norway’s defence stood firm for the most part as Spain needed a Sergio Ramos penalty to overcome the stubborn Scandinavians.
Norway’s backline has been quite impressive of late and has been the major reason for their recent success. Norway’s defence gave up just two goals in six matches during the UEFA Nations League, which helped them win League C, Group 3.
Going back to their last 11 matches, Norway have conceded more than one goal in just twice. They’ve also gone on to win eight of those 11 contests.
Norway’s strikers — Joshua King, Ola Kamara, Bjorn Johnsen, and Tarik Elyounoussi — aren’t household names, nor are they particularly prolific. But they do still chip in with their fair share of goals. The Norwegians have scored at least one goal in 10 of their last 11 outings, thanks in large part to those four.
The Norway defence has shown it will be tough to break down, which bodes well for their Euro 2020 results. But more crucially, though, they will need their unheralded attackers to deliver in order to claim a huge win over their fierce rivals.
Inconsistent Swedes missing star duo
Sweden successfully snapped a two-match winless run as they edged out Romania in Stockholm. First-half goals from Robin Quaison and Viktor Claesson were enough for them to grab all three points.
The Swedes’ form has been pretty uneven since making their shock quarter-final run in the 2018 World Cup. They’ve won just three of their nine post-World Cup matches, with three defeats and three draws. However, they did beat both Russia and Turkey to top their UEFA Nations League group and gain promotion to League A.
But Sweden’s Euro 2020 betting odds to grab a win in Oslo have taken a hit due to some key absentees. Manchester United centre-back Victor Lindelof already pulled out of the recent qualifiers as he expects the birth of his child. And now, they will also be missing star playmaker Emil Forsberg, who has reportedly left the squad in anger after he was subbed off against Romania.
Forsberg is Sweden’s main creative force and will be a major loss to the team’s attack. The Swedes could struggle to create chances consistently without him, especially against a well-drilled Norway defence.
It also doesn’t help that it’s been a while since top striker Marcus Berg has found the back of the net. His last goal came all the way back in December as he’s failed to score in seven appearances for his club (Al Ain of the UAE) and country in 2019.
History
The two Scandinavian rivals clearly know each other very well. After all, they have met over 100 times in their history. Sweden have historically had the upper hand over their neighbours as they’ve won 59 times in 106 all-time matchups.
However, Norway have been able to make it a much more competitive affair in recent years. Since 1992, Sweden and Norway have played out five draws in nine meetings, including the two most recent matches in 2015 and 2017. Each country has also had two wins apiece during that time.
Betting Tip
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Norway vs Sweden | Under 2.00 @ 2.06 |
| March 27, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
This match has all the makings of a low-scoring affair. Neither team possesses much in the way of overwhelming attacking quality. Forsberg was the player capable of adding that bit of class to the Swedish attack, which makes his absence a tough one to overcome.
Meanwhile, both sides are generally well-organized in defence, which should make clear-cut goalscoring opportunities few and far between. It would be quite a surprise if this game produces over two goals. SBOBET odds also have the draw priced at 3.00, which is a very realistic possibility given the teams’ recent history.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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