TEAM NEWS
Sweden and CSKA Moscow enforcer Pontus Wernbloom will miss the play-off due to a thigh injury. The Swedes also have concerns over Kim Kallstrom (stomach bug) and Malmo’s Oscar Lewicki, who suffered a concussion when he was knocked out in his side’s Champions League group game against Shaktar Donetsk. Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdahl is also out having suffered a foot injury in October that will sideline him for several months.
Pione Sisto misses out for Denmark having failed to recover from a groin injury while Leon Andreasen was ruled out on Sunday after cutting himself while opening a parcel. Yes, opening a parcel.
PRE-MATCH QUOTES
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden striker): “It will be two cup finals against Denmark, two very difficult matches. We will need to be 100 percent in both meetings not only one. It’s the secret to being at the European Championships. We have already proved that we have the level to go to the Euros, now we must do it again.”
Erik Hamren (Sweden coach): “Denmark are 10 places above us in the world rankings and they have won the most recent matches between us, but my feeling is that this is our time now.”
Morten Olsen (Denmark coach): “It pleases me that we get the opportunity to decide it all at home [in the second leg]. Deciding it all in front of your own crowd is always something special.”
Erik Sviatchenko (Denmark defender): “In Simon Kjaer, I think we have the man who can stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He has done so before, and lately he neutralised Cristiano Ronaldo, so why not Zlatan too?”
MATCH FACTS
Sweden and Denmark have played each other 103 times previously; Sweden have won 45 times to Denmark’s 40 (D18).
However, Denmark have won four straight matches over Sweden; recording clean sheets in all of those games.
Denmark have mustered only one win in their last eight matches on the road (all competitions).
Four of the nine goals conceded by Sweden in the group stage were from the penalty spot (44.4%); a competition-high share.
Seven of Sweden’s last eleven goals in qualifying have been bagged by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Nicklas Bendtner has been directly involved in six of the last seven goals scored by Denmark in European Championship qualifiers (two scored and four assists).
As at this post Sweden has 2.27 odd to win the match on NaijaBet while Denmark has 3.32 odd to win the match also, while the odd to draw the match is 3.01.