Sweden vs Slovakia prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League C betting tips on match 2024-11-15 19:45.
[p]As the guaranteed top-two teams of UEFA Nations League (UNL) Group C1, either Sweden or Slovakia will be taking part in next year’s promotion-relegation playoffs against a third-placed nation from League B. It’s only fitting that they remain level on points heading into the final pair of matches after drawing 2-2 in Slovakia last month, which should give Sweden an immense wealth of confidence as they look to cash in their home advantage this time around.[/p]
[p]With head-to-head results acting as the first tiebreaker in this competition, Sweden will ensure that by defeating Slovakia here they can guarantee their immediate return to League B even if they were to lose at home to Azerbaijan just three nights later. A W6, L3 home record since the start of 2023 suggests that this game will go one way or the other, whilst losing as favourites at home to Serbia (3-0) and Austria (2-0) confirms that the hosts cannot take this match for granted.[/p]
[p]Slovakia needed to fight off a first half equaliser from Azerbaijan to register a 3-1 win in Baku last time out, a result that means they’ve already improved upon their two wins from six matches in the previous edition of the UNL. Similarly to their hosts, winning this fixture would mean that they could take their following match at home to Estonia lightly, whilst even a draw would mark their second-longest undefeated run under current head coach Francesco Calzona. [/p]
[p]But there’s no doubt that, on the basis of their best results this year, they should be aiming higher. Calzona’s side have shown themselves capable of upsetting the odds, taking a win or draw from nearly half of their nine games as the underdogs during his tenure (W2, D2, L5) such as the 1-0 win over top-ten ranked nation Belgium in the group stage of Euro 2024. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Sweden’s Viktor Gyökeres has found the net in six of his last seven starts for club or country, starting with the 3-0 win v Estonia during the last international break. One goal also never seems to be enough for Slovakia’s David Strelec, who recently added two league doubles against Skalica to his international brace in the reverse H2H. [/p]
[p]Hot streak: Sweden’s last six matches all produced over 2.5 total goals.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]