Revenge or a repeat?
A few months ago, a World Cup berth seemed almost unimaginable for the Swedish national team. The Blue-Yellows stumbled through World Cup Qualifying Group B without a single win. Up front, the Blagult created hardly any scoring chances (4 goals), and at the back, mistakes piled up (12 goals conceded). Nevertheless, the hosts are dreaming of their 13th appearance in a World Cup finals in the Sweden vs. Poland preview.
Graham Potter’s squad has earned a spot in the playoffs thanks to winning their Nations League group. The victory in the playoff semifinal against Ukraine (3-1) has the entire nation hopeful once again in the Sweden vs. Poland preview—hoping for a rematch and the World Cup ticket that comes with it.
A first look at the Sweden vs. Poland betting odds shows: If you can, you should stock up on a free bet. Both national teams will net you more than double your stake even with German bookmakers.
Additionally, this matchup is emotionally charged due to recent history. Just four years ago, the two teams faced off in the World Cup playoffs for the final tournament in Qatar. Back then, the Red-and-Whites won the playoff final on home soil 2-0 and secured their World Cup ticket for the second time in a row.
This time, the Polish national team nearly failed to advance past the playoff semifinals. The otherwise reliable Jan Bednarek made a technical error, allowing Albania to take a 1-0 lead. It took a lot of effort for Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski to turn the game around with their goals.
Sweden – Poland Head-to-Head Record
Many remember the aforementioned last meeting between the two national teams. Just like in this year’s playoff semifinal against Albania, the Bialo-Czerwoni’s goal scorers back then were Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski.
Unlike four years ago, this matchup is taking place in Sweden. Away from home, the team led by visiting coach Jan Urban has been waiting 76 years for a win against the Blue-Yellows. Poland has returned home with a loss from each of its last three away appearances in Sweden.
Sweden – Poland Prediction
Based purely on results, the visitors should be considered the slightly better team. Since Jan Urban took over as head coach of the Polish national team, Poland has been undefeated (5 wins, 2 draws). They only missed out on direct World Cup qualification because the Netherlands had earned three more points.
Under the 63-year-old head coach, five of the six competitive matches played ended with both teams scoring.
This trend continues in our Sweden vs. Poland prediction, because: Both nations have a top striker leading the attack.
Viktor Gyökeres vented his frustration from World Cup Qualifying Group B in the playoff semifinal (0 goals in 6 qualifying matches prior) and scored all three of his nation’s goals. On the other side, Robert Lewandowski led the comeback victory and increased his record goal tally in the red-and-white jersey to 89 goals in 164 matches.
