The path to the World Cup is very clear for both Sweden and the Czech Republic. Whichever nation picks up the victory this week will square off against Poland for a place in Qatar next week in the final of Path B. But, can the Swedes recover from their disappointing end to the qualification campaign?
World Cup Playoff Preview
Sweden’s mentality will be brought into question throughout the playoffs, as they looked almost certain to finish top of their respective group. They were within a couple of wins away of completely an unlikely qualifying campaign and finishing above Spain in Group B. However, they let their opportunity slip through their fingertips.
Sweden’s aim at the beginning of the campaign would have been to finish in second spot, but it will be interesting to see how they respond after the setback of blowing their chance of finishing top.
Sweden come into this fixture having suffered defeats in their previous two games, with those defeats ultimately meaning that Spain were able to finish top of the group. Their latest defeat was a 1-0 loss against the Spanish away from home in the middle of November.
The Czech Republic will be the outsiders to reach the World Cup, but they should be confident having enjoyed an excellent EURO 2020 campaign last summer. They finished third in their Group E campaign, but reached the playoffs after advancing through to this stage following their Nations League performances.
The Czech Republic won four of their eight fixtures in Group E, and finished a point behind Wales. They have won their previous three games without conceding a goal. Their latest victory was a 2-0 home success against Estonia in a World Cup qualifier in mid-November.
Sweden vs Czech Republic Head to Head
These two nations have only met on three previous occasions. The Czech Republic are yet to win against Sweden, while Sweden’s only win came in an international friendly in August 2005. Two of the three matches between the sides have ended in draws, with the most recent being a 1-1 draw in March 2016.
Sweden vs Czech Republic Prediction
This is a playoff fixture that could go either way, as both have realistic chances of reaching the final. However, the Czech Republic have often rose to the pressure in fixtures over the past couple of years, and that experience could be crucial this week.
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