A Zlatan Ibrahimovic-less side will take on Finland in their penultimate friendly match before the Euros. Both Sweden and Finland will take part in this summer’s competition and will be hoping to make it through to the knockout stage, at least.
No Ibra, no problem? Much fanfare followed the announcement that Zlatan was to return to the national team set up in April. Sweden called their talisman back to the senior squad after leaving him out for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Ibrahimovic’s return, and the subsequent joy, was short-lived as the veteran was ruled out of the Euros with an injury earlier this month. Ibrahimovic won’t be there to help his compatriots for their second successive major competition. However, if the past is any indication, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Sweden were the surprise package of the 2018 FIFA World Cup – or at least one of the surprise packages. The Scandinavian side reached the finals at the expense of Italy, who they knocked out in the playoffs. They then progressed to the knockout stages as winners of their group, which contained Mexico, South Korea, and the incumbent world champions, Germany. They beat Switzerland by a goal to nil in the round of 16 before falling to England in the quarter-finals. And they did all that without Ibrahimovic leading the team or even being involved in the national camp!
Janne Andersson’s team has been drawn alongside Spain, Slovakia, and Poland in the competition – an easy group made even easier due to the change in the competition format.
Finland will hope to embark on a run as heroic as their neighbours during the upcoming Euros. Historically, Finland aren’t one of the top European sides. Most of their competitive international appearances have come in the Olympics – where they secured fourth place in 1912 – and the recently formed UEFA Nations League. This is the first time in their history that Finland have qualified for a major football tournament, and they will look to make it count.
The Scandinavian side finished second in their qualification group to secure passage into the competition. They were runners-up to Italy, who progressed to the finals without dropping a single point throughout qualification. Finland’s record was impressive as well, as they won six out of their ten matches and sealed the second spot with a four-point lead. They have been drawn alongside Belgium, Denmark, and Russia in the Euros.
Key Players
Dejan Kulusevski: The Juventus attacker is one of the most high-profile players in the current Sweden squad. However, that brings with it added responsibility and heightened expectations. Dejan Kulusevski has the talent to shoulder that burden for his national team and will be one to keep an eye on during this summer’s tournament. Kulusevski is heading to the Euros on the back of a good season, during which he helped Juventus secure a Champions League spot. He has made 11 appearances for his national team so far and scored one goal.
In terms of output, Alexander Isak is matching the numbers of compatriots Emil Forsberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season. The Real Sociedad forward has scored 17 goals this term and added two assists to his total contribution. With Ibrahimovic ruled out, Isak will likely lead the line for Sweden in the Euros. The friendly against Finland will provide a chance to judge his progress within the national team set-up.
Teemu Pukki: No current Finland player can match the reputation of Teemu Pukki, who is set to play in the Premier League for the second time in three years next season. Pukki has become synonymous with goals for Norwich City and had a huge hand in Finland’s qualification to the Euros. The experienced forward will now get the chance to lead his country in their first major tournament and will be the key to their attack throughout.
23-year-old Fredrick Jensen is one of the young prospects Finland are pinning their hopes to, ahead of the 2020 Euro. The attacker plays for Augsburg in the Bundesliga and is, therefore, one of the better-placed Finns across the continent. Though he scored just two goals for the German outfit this season – neither of them in the league – he has found the net on seven occasions for Finland.
Prediction
Sweden have the squad, and now the experience, to embark on a deep run into the 2020 Euro. Their quarter-final run in the 2018 FIFA World Cup is bound to give them some confidence ahead of the summer’s competition. Fans should be able to gauge their progress in the friendly matches scheduled before the start of the tournament. However, neither Finland nor Armenia are likely to provide them with much of a challenge in the exhibition fixtures – or at least, they shouldn’t.
