Estonia vs Sweden prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League C betting tips on match 2024-10-13 18:45.
[p]Estonia have a patchy recent record in the UEFA Nations League (UNL), but a first win in the 2024/25 edition of the competition has boosted their hopes of survival in the third tier. Having been promoted back to League C, the Blueshirts had lost their opening two games in the tournament, but registered an important 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan on Friday.[/p]
[p]That success also ended a two-year wait for a competitive win (D1, L10), a run of form which prompted a change of manager. Thomas Häberli was replaced by assistant boss Jürgen Henn in June, and the 37-year old – who has now won three of his five internationals at the helm (L2) – is warning his players they cannot afford to drop their performance levels for their clash with Sweden.[/p]
[p]The visitors should make the journey across the Baltic Sea full of confidence given that they head into this fixture in top spot in UNL Group C1. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side are unbeaten in this cycle so far (W2, D1), but did miss out on the chance to open up a three-point gap over Slovakia when letting a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 stalemate on Friday.[/p]
[p]Even so, the Blue and Yellows are well placed to halt the downward spiral they have been on in recent years after suffering back-to-back UNL relegations. They will now be hoping to extend a run of just one defeat across their last six competitive matches (W3, D2), and history suggests they should be expected to do so as Sweden are unbeaten in all 20 previous H2Hs (W18, D2), including a thumping 3-0 success in the reverse fixture last month.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Estonia will be hoping midfielder Mattias Käit can get himself a goal, as they have won five of the previous six games in which he has scored. Sweden will look to Viktor Gyökeres to lead their line – he has netted four times in his eight previous UNL appearances, including a brace against Estonia in September.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: There have been 3+ goals in 15 of Sweden’s last 19 matches.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]